The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has learned more about how the county’s opioid settlement money is getting used following a presentation this week.
The board heard from Trisha Johnson of Sacred Heart Serenity Hills Recovery and Wellness Center, which was one of two organizations selected by commissioners last year to receive the opioid funds to help people overcome substance abuse issues.
Sacred Heart has been given $484,000 to expand opioid treatment services and peer recovery programming at its facility in Berrien Center. However, Johnson told commissioners the expansion was slow going due to a national shortage of social workers and therapists.
“This grant was to cover a full-time outpatient therapy position and two peer recovery coaches,” Johnson said. “We didn’t hire those right away. I had them posted.”
Fortunately, Johnson said Sacred Heart has now found the outpatient therapist and two recovery coaches it needs. She notes a place like Sacred Heart can’t offer the big bucks some larger facilities can. It attracts people who are passionate.
“The folks we have, most of them are committed for one reason or another to this population. Usually it’s personal. We have several people who work in our facility who are in recovery themselves. Aside from just recovery coaches, we have nurses, we have direct care staff, we have a lot of people who are in solid recovery themselves.”
Johnson said the other big challenge has been transportation, but Sacred Heart has been able to purchase a van using county-provided funds, and that van has provided more than 320 rides since last July.
Johnson said Sacred Heart is now on track and ready to help more in need, forming a partnership with Corewell Behavioral Health. Sacred Heart is one of two partners working with the county to address addiction issues.
The other is the First Church of God, which has opened a home to help those on the road to recovery.
You can learn more about Scared Heart’s presentation right here.
