New addiction services center to open
Dedication of the first new detoxification center to be built in Lee County in more than 50 years is set for Thursday, Feb. 26 when Southwest Florida Addiction Services (SWFAS) officially opens the doors of its new 40-bed Detoxification and Outpatient Treatment Center.
The ribbon-cutting is set for 10 a.m. at 3763 Evans Avenue on a four-acre parcel adjacent to Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center that was donated by the City of Fort Myers under a long-term land lease.
An open house for the public is slated for later the same day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Among those expected to participate in the ribbon-cutting are State Rep. Gary Aubuchon, Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes, Fort Myers Mayor Jim Humphrey, Lee Memorial Health System President Jim Nathan, Southwest Florida Community Foundation President Julia East as well as The Kleist Family Foundation and Jim and Donna Sublett.
Each of the participants made large financial contributions to build the new center, which will replace the existing smaller Detoxification Center on Cleveland Avenue that is housed in a converted motel built in the 1950s.
“We are very grateful to the many supporters who have demonstrated again and again their commitment to helping us help others,” said SWFAS CEO Kevin B. Lewis. “During the current downturn in the economy, we continue to have individuals on our wait list for detoxification and when we can’t admit them, they often have no other options. Families need a place to turn in times of crisis.”
Lewis emphasized that opening of the new Detoxification and Outpatient Treatment Center will help alleviate the crisis in substance abuse services, but it won’t help everyone in need.
“As a chronic disease, addiction impacts between 6 and 7 percent of the adult population in the area, and with current economic conditions expected to diminish public funding, we expect to face continuing challenges to meet the demand for services. Our area will continue to need increased treatment resources, even with the addition of this facility,” he said.
About $6 million has been raised for the $9.5 million project, with room-naming opportunities still available. Lewis said interim financing has been arranged to enable SWFAS to complete the project while fund-raising continues.
Officials say the new center responds to “a crisis in substance abuse services in Southwest Florida.”
“There isn’t a day that passes that we aren’t forced to turn away people in need of immediate detoxification because there are no beds available,” Lewis said. “It is a quiet tragedy that occurs every day.”
While many other businesses have experienced less demand for their services, that hasn’t been the case for substance abuse treatment services provided by SWFAS. While the population at risk has nearly tripled in the past 20 years, Lewis said the number of detox beds has decreased from 28 beds in 1984 to 25 beds in 2008, due to funding not keeping pace with area growth.
The new 44,000 square foot facility also will include room for outpatient counseling and prevention services now located on McGregor Boulevard and SWFAS administration offices now located on Winkler Avenue. The McGregor Boulevard and Winkler Avenue offices will close within a few weeks of the opening of the new center.
SWFAS is the most comprehensive substance abuse treatment and prevention program in Southwest Florida, serving 6,000 people per year from ages 9 to 90. SWFAS offers outpatient and residential programs for both adults and youngsters from five locations in Lee County. Fees for many services are charged on a sliding scale,
February 10, 2009
For more information, contact the office of Kevin B. Lewis at (239) 278-7595 ext. 700.
The new SWFAS Detoxification and Outpatient Treatment Center offers many services that either haven’t been previously available in Southwest Florida or have been scattered in several locations.
Among the special features are the following:
n Hurricane glass throughout, and a standby generator for the Detoxification wing, enabling the new center to be used as a hurricane shelter for SWFAS patients;
nDetoxification Center with separate entrance staffed 24 hours per day;
nNine four-bed bedrooms with bathrooms;
nTwo two-bed bedrooms with bathrooms for patients requiring greater observation;
n Bathrooms outfitted with special shatter-proof fixtures;
n Commercial kitchen that will serve 120 meals a day for the Detoxification Center as well as 75 additional meals each day for the SWFAS Transitional Living Center and Vince Smith Center for adolescents;
nLaundry facilities capable of handling 24 loads per day;
nLarge day room or living room for patients in the Detoxification Center;
nNurses’ station with observation areas for the day room and intensive patient care;
nCourtyard area for patient recreational use;
nLaboratory for urine screening;
n10 group counseling rooms in the outpatient portion of the center;
n18 offices for outpatient counseling;
nPublic education room in the outpatient portion of the center;
nAdministration section on the second floor with administrative offices, prevention services, accounting, and human resources offices.
Tours for the public will be offered Tues., Feb. 26, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The new SWFAS Detoxification and Outpatient Treatment Center is good for the environment as well as for those individuals seeking help for substance abuse disorders.
Many “green features” have been incorporated into the new facility to conserve energy and be eco-friendly.
Among the special green features are the following:
nSolar energy is used to heat water for laundry use, and for the outpatient portion of the building, reducing power usage;
nThe configuration and placement of the building minimizes east-west exposure to the sun, and maximizes north-south exposure to reduce the air conditioning load for the building;
nNatural light is “managed” by bringing additional light into the building with Sola-Tubes that look like light fixtures in the ceiling reducing the need for artificial lighting;
nTransoms over doorways bring additional natural light into interior hallways;
nElectrical lighting is provided through low voltage lighting systems that include sensors to shut off lighting if rooms aren’t occupied;
nMarmoleum flooring was selected as a low maintenance (and low chemical use) choice. Its linseed oil base serves as an anti-bacterial flooring in addition to not releasing gases into the environment;
nPaints and carpeting were selected to be Low in Volatile Organic Compounds to decrease internal air concerns during construction and after occupancy;
nLandscaping emphasizes native plants that will require minimal irrigation after the first year, using principles of xeriscaping.