Villa of Hope looks ahead to new detox center, outpatient clinic
Greece, N.Y. – Villa of Hope is celebrating future additions it says will not only provide needed services in our area, but will also save lives.
The center held a virtual groundbreaking Wednesday for its future detox center and outpatient clinic in Greece.
Villa of Hope says the development will be the first of its kind in Monroe County, and will provide medically-supervised withdrawal and stabilization treatment for those dealing with substance abuse – both adults and adolescents – as well as assistance related to mental health and wellness.
It says the new centers will provide a needed asset to the community, especially those who would otherwise have to go outside the county to seek services, due to a lack of beds. Eighteen beds will be available for people 16 and up.
Mental health experts say in 2017 alone, 32% of Monroe County residents who needed addiction services had to travel outside the county to receive them due to a lack of local resources.
“Today, to be able to have that breadth of services, behavioral health needs, mental health, it’s really critical to make an impact: not just with youth, but with families as well," Villa of Hope CEO Christina Gullo said.
Construction is underway on the new facilities, with work expected to be completed this fall.
By expanding here, Gullo says lives will be saved.
“It’s not just about a detox program. It’s about that continuum, and to be able to, one, prevent somebody from needing to have the detox bed or, two, being able to continue treatment when detox is over,” she said.
“If somebody’s intoxicated, we need to stabilize them,” said Monroe County Health Commissioner, Dr. Michael Mendoza. “Without stabilization, you can’t begin any of the other steps of recovery. And that early period is a very tenuous one, because if somebody’s intoxicated from something, they’re unable to make good decisions, they may put themselves in harm’s way, and they’re at risk for a lot of medical complications. We need to have a safe place for them to get out of that acute phase, get them ready for the next step of care.”
Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said the expansion is needed.
“We’re still losing 100 residents a year to addiction," he said. "We can never forget that. Those are humans.”
For more information on resources available from Villa of Hope, click here.