Sojourner Recovery Services opened a new clinic Jan. 17 to allow for a newer type of treatment for people who have an opioid dependency.
Brent Russell, development director for Sojourner Recovery Services, said Sojourner is a private nonprofit facility that provides chemical dependency treatment for patients. This new clinic is located in Hamilton, though Russell said Sojourner is not openly advertising the address in hopes that people will simply call for information.
"People just need to call for an appointment," Russell said. "We are not really advertising the address because we want people to call for information first."
The new clinic is an outpatient care center, as opposed to residential. Prescriptions for suboxone, a new medication the center is using, will be available as well.
"This is a medication-assisted treatment-that means that they are using a medication to help treat the addiction," Russell said. "It is a new medication that is shown to have a lot of success, and we want to make it available for treatments."
Don Becker, pharmacy director for McCullough-Hyde Hospital, said people with opioid dependency-which is a dependency to certain pain medications-experience withdrawal symptoms if the drug is not administered.
"Usually (opioid dependency) is a physiological dependence of opioids either legally or illegally," he said. "You have withdrawal if you don't get your dose."
Many people become addicted to pain medications when they are brought in for more routine procedures such as a back surgery, Russell explained. Russell sees opioid addiction as different than many others, in that people who have never had a dependency previously can develop an opioid one.
"There are other forms of treatment but (suboxone) is the only form that will be available at this clinic," Russell said. "One of the other treatments is methadone, and with that you have to go every day to get it. With the suboxone you don't have to go to the clinic every day. You can take it at home."
Russell said that the clinic is open to the public-both Butler County residents and non-residents.
According to Russell, there are no other clinics like Sojourner's in the surrounding area-there are doctors who can treat such dependencies, but no special clinics.
According to Becker, McCullough-Hyde Hospital does not have a chemical dependency treatment center or program. He also said he does not know of drawbacks to any dependency treatment.
"I think Sojourner has an excellent reputation for treatment in its 20 years," Russell said. "The treatment will be private and confidential and I think this is important to help people fight this addiction."
Appointments at the clinic can be made by calling the main number at (513) 868-7684.
