Congressman Evan Jenkins, right, speaks to Open Minds Recovery Services Director David Stevens, left, in front of their education room at the new rehab center in Mount Hope on Monday.
MOUNT HOPE — To help meet the needs of those in southern West Virginia suffering from addiction, a new substance abuse rehabilitation facility will soon open in Fayette County.
Open Hearts, located in Mount Hope, is a residential, in-patient treatment center that can serve up to 100 male clients.
Through a partnership with Family Options Providers, a behavioral health care center with locations in Raleigh and Fayette counties, the 12- to 24-month program focuses on intensive therapy with group, individual and family sessions.
She said the goal of Open Hearts is not only to teach recovery skills, but to also teach basic life skills, such as relationship building and job maintenance.
Medication-assisted treatment will not be part of the regimen at the facility, but through a partnership with Beckley Appalachian Regional Healthcare, clients with a long history of drug use will be permitted to undergo medically monitored detox.
“We want to make sure all the residents are safe,” Richards said.
Clients will be referred to the center through Drug Court programs, the Department of Justice or self-referrals through the 1-844-HELP4WV hotline.
Congressman Evan Jenkins visited the facility Monday to see the progress that’s taken place over the past two years.
”We hear constantly about the problem of not enough treatment beds, not enough recovery beds,” Jenkins said. “Here in Mount Hope, the facility run by Open Minds, which will open in just a few weeks, will address a critical need, to try and get people and their lives back on the right track.”
Jenkins said the opioid epidemic has destroyed many lives and communities, and people in southern West Virginia desperately need these services.
The facility will serve residents from Fayette, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming counties, none of which currently has intensive in-patient treatment centers.
Administrator David Stevens, a Wyoming County native, said his father always taught him to give back to his community.
“I’m by no means rich, but I’ve made a decent living,” Stevens said. “I’ve always been able to provide for my family, and this is my way to give back.”
He became increasingly frustrated as time passed and no one stepped up to address the needs of those suffering from addiction in the southern half of the state.
While addiction hasn’t directly impacted his family, his daughter’s childhood best friend recently suffered a fatal overdose.
“It’s tragic, but if everybody sits around and nobody does anything, it’s not going to get any better.”
If the facility is successful, Open Minds hopes to expand to offer services to female clients.
