It may look like just another building under construction in downtown Louisville , but the work happening at 1020 West Market Street is far from ordinary .
The Healing Place is wrapping up a $ 29 million expansion of the men ’ s campus in order to better meet the needs of our community . For the past four years , our detox unit has been turning away an average of 200 to 300 men every month . This is a direct correlation to the opioid epidemic plaguing Louisville , the Commonwealth of Kentucky and much of our nation .
The 2017 Overdose Fatality Report , published by the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy , found that 1,565 people lost their lives in Kentucky due to an overdose last year ; 426 in Jefferson County alone . Fentanyl was reported in 49 percent of the deaths statewide and in 64 percent of Jefferson County ’ s deadly overdoses .
What happens to those who get turned away when they are ready to start the recovery process ? Some of them wait another day to sober up . Some wind up at the hospital or in jail . Others end up as a statistic . “ Men who return to the streets today are at a very high risk for overdose and contracting serious illnesses related to addiction and violence ,” says Karyn Hascal , President of The Healing Place . “ We feel a responsibility to the community to respond to the need .”
Since our current women ’ s campus opened in 2009 , we have had 48 total beds available for detox – 24 on each campus . With 48 beds total , The Healing Place has operated the city ’ s second-largest detox facility ; the largest is Metro Corrections . The expansion of our men ’ s campus changes their bed count from 24 to 50 . There will never be enough beds , but 26 more will help .
The expansion also adds nearly 200 beds to The Healing Place ’ s long-term recovery program , which has been recognized by the US Department of Health and Human Services as a “ Model That Works .”
“ The expansion of the men ’ s campus is a testimony to the need for recovery for men and that our social model for recovery is extremely effective and efficient in saving lives ,” says Jay Davidson , Chairman and Process Founder .
The expansion of our men ’ s campus is about more than just the demand for our services . Our unique approach to recovery gives our clients the gift of time . In our recovery program , they get six to nine months or more to sit down and work on themselves . While at The Healing Place , our clients are connected to support services like education and process classes , accountability , and life skills . The time clients spend in our recovery program allows for a behavior modification to begin . “ We do not treat alcohol and drugs here at The Healing Place . We treat people who have addictions . That takes time and love in the form of peer support ,” says Doug Scott , Director of Giving .
Because of generous support from the community , we are able to offer our services at no cost to the clients . We want there to be as few barriers to recovery as possible . Because of the unique nature of our program , The Healing Place is able to make every dollar count and operate at a cost of $ 25 per client per day . For every dollar that is donated to The Healing Place , 82 cents goes directly into program services . Scott says , “ The need in our community is so great , we are very good at helping people address the need and we are affordably scalable – and that makes us the best to expand to meet the challenge and the demand .”
As we head into our 30 th year , The Healing Place would not be what it is without the help of the Greater Louisville Medical Society and our founding physicians . “ The Healing Place would not exist at all were it not for GLMS ,” says Hascal . Members of GLMS continue to support our efforts with time , talent and treasure . GLMS members have four seats on our Board of Directors and doctors continue to volunteer in our free medical clinic and provide supervision for medical students , who complete a rotation in our clinic .
Dr . Will Ward is a founder of The Healing Place . He says that what is happening today is far beyond the imagination of what he and the other founding physicians foresaw when creating the Jefferson County Medical Outreach Program , which later became The Healing Place . “ It amazes me that just one idea could lead to what is happening right now and what The Healing Place is today ,” says Ward . “ The doctors 30 years ago were in an ideal position to bring together community resources to work on social problems within their community . That helped to lead the growth and development of The Healing Place .”
Phase One of the men ’ s campus expansion was completed at the end of 2017 , with clients moving in from the small two-story facility at 1020 West Market into a much larger four-story building next door . The original building was demolished in January to make room for Phase Two of the project , which adds another four-story wing . That new addition includes a free medical clinic , classrooms and , most importantly , more beds to help those who are seeking recovery .
Throughout two years of construction , The Healing Place has been able to operate at full capacity , serving 250 men at the men ’ s campus every day . Right now , there are 700 men and women in a bed every night across three campuses . Once the new building is ready , that number will be close to 1,000 . That will be 1,000 men and women who have a warm bed , a hot meal , fresh clothes , and a new life in recovery .
“ While we know that we cannot be the whole answer to the problem of addiction in our community , we can work to be a larger piece of the solution ,” says Hascal .
By continuing to grow and expand services , The Healing Place will continue to be there for those who are reaching out for help … just like we have been for 29 years .
To learn more about The Healing Place and the expansion of the men ’ s campus , please visit www . thehealingplace . org .
Laci Comer is The Healing Place ’ s Communications Specialist .
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