Addicts will get new 'Hope' at Pocatello center - East Idaho News

Breaking News

Identity released of man who died in crash near Grace

Business & Money

Addicts will get new ‘Hope’ at Pocatello center

  Published at  | Updated at
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready ...

POCATELLO — Thanks to a $150,000 grant from the state, a new Hope and Recovery Resource Center will be established in Pocatello to help people struggling with addiction link up with available resources and find a path out of their destructive behavior.

The center is hoping to open its doors inside the building that houses the Southeast Idaho Council on Governments at 214 East Center Street on July 1.

Bannock County Treatment Coordinator Mike Beers said center will be a welcome addition, and was made possible because of the work of the District VI Recovery Center Steering Committee. Funding was approved by the 2016 Idaho Legislature.

“It will be a hub to provide information to help people struggling with addiction,” Beers said.

Beers coordinates the Share Program at the Bannock County Detention Center that helps people in recovery. But he said more resources are needed once they leave the jail and complete the 28-day program.

“So much of the focus is on corrections and our hope is this will put a focus on family and community resources so we can reduce recidivism.”

“All of our legislators are truly supportive of this step in trying to stop this epidemic and help people and families cope with this disease that completely turns their family inside out,” said Helen Lusk, secretary for the Hope and Recovery Center.

The center will be a peer-supported facility. It will target individuals in early recovery from substance use disorder and/or mental health disorders, particularly those recently released from incarceration, in-treatment programs and psychiatric hospitals. However, it will also provide a place for families to learn about the disease and give them options with local professionals.

It will be operated as a private, nonprofit organization.

Lusk said having services available in one location is beneficial because transportation is a huge issue with those in recovery. Many have lost their driver’s licenses and many families have “disowned” their family members because they do not know how to handle the situation.

“We hope to educate families to be able to cope with the disease and be a support without being co-dependent or enabling their loved one,” Lusk said.

The center will rely largely on volunteer and peer-driven support, with the base costs covered by a combination of government funding, grants and contributions.

Before it opens its doors, the center is looking for donations of computers, desks, chairs, couches, children’s toys and even a vehicle to help with transportation. For information on making a donation, call Lusk at 208-221-2134.

“It’s not a crisis center,” Beers said. “We’re hoping to show legislators that we can help these people at the community level.”

This story was originally published in the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.

SUBMIT A CORRECTION

EastIdahoNews.com comment boards are a place for open, honest, and civil communication between readers regarding the news of the day and issues facing our communities. We encourage commenters to stay on topic, use positive and constructive language, and be empathetic to the feelings of other commenters. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Click here for more details on our commenting rules.