AKRON, Ohio – Beginning Oct. 1, the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board will add 20 residential treatment beds for males with opiate or heroin addiction at the IBH Addiction Recovery Center in the Portage Lakes.
The ADM board of directors recently approved $3.2 million to address the county’s alarming drug overdose numbers. Adding the beds is the first of several system enhancements planned.
Summit County has had 1,473 overdose cases this year, with the numbers skyrocketing this summer. About 60 percent of the overdoses were male.
In June, Summit County had 99 overdoses, but July and August climbed to 395 and 364 overdoses respectively, according to Summit County Public Health. So far, September overdoses number 189.
“The ADM Board, along with their community partners, are dedicated to eliminating this epidemic by providing critical treatment and recovery supports to those in need. These additional treatment beds will improve our ability to provide treatment in a timelier manner,” said Jerry Craig, ADM Board Executive Director in a news release.
The board is partnering with IBH Addiction Recovery Center on medication assisted treatment, an evidence-based practice which combines behavioral therapy and medications to treat substance use.
IBH Addiction Recovery Center has used residential treatment to help more than 16,000 people with drug and alcohol addiction. At the center, clients undergo an intense program that includes chemical dependency and mental health counselors, medical staff, education specialists and spiritual advisors. Once people complete treatment, they can enter the IBH REACH Project, a free program for up to two years.
“We recognize and appreciate the trust the community has placed in us, and this expansion will allow IBH to serve even more people,” said the center’s executive director Deborah Foster-Koch.
Visit the ADM Board website to learn more about its services. For 24-hour emergency assistance call 330-996-7730 for an addiction emergency and 330-762-6110 for a mental health emergency.
Original article by Jennifer Conn- Cleveland.com
