Credo on Wednesday announced the groundbreaking for its new center for outpatient care, which will be built at 611 West Main St.
John Wilson, executive director of Credo, said the project will cost approximately $9.2 million to renovate the building and will eventually comprise 20,000 square feet of usable space which will be used by outpatients seeking substance abuse and mental health care.
The new Credo Community Center is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023 or beginning of 2024, and employees will be able to conduct therapy sessions, give treatment for drug addiction and offer other services to help people receive care. It will also provide Narcan training and education as part of its opioid overdose prevention program.
In 2017, Credo had 61 patients in its opioid treatment program, 212 in its integrated outpatient services and 50 employees working for outpatient care. Now, there are more than 300 people in the opioid treatment program, over 600 in outpatient care and Credo now employs 81 people to work with outpatients.
“We’ve seen a 246% increase in census in five years,” Mr. Wilson said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “I wish we were still in the little location that was on the square because that would mean we met the need but that’s not the case.”
To be able to better serve those who need treatment, Credo has embedded telehealth capabilities into its programs so that patients who need care but cannot physically get to the center can still receive care. Tracy Leonard, director of operations at Credo, said the COVID-19 pandemic pushed them to offer telehealth services and has enabled them to help more people than previously.
“You can see how we’re bursting at the seams,” Ms. Leonard said. “So this will essentially just expand our physical footprint.”
With the expansion into new building space, Ms. Leonard says that Credo will also be able to offer more services at one site, including getting those who are receiving treatment help stabilizing their lives further and enabling them to restore more than just their mental and physical well-being.
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