SWFAS to dedicate new residential center Thursday
Southwest Florida Addiction Services will celebrate the opening of a new larger Adult Residential Center later this month, replacing a 60-year-old structure at the Transitional Living Center in central Fort Myers.
An open house with tours is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 2516 Grand Ave. Parking is available on Grand Avenue and Dixie Parkway.
The new two-story 16-bed facility will house nearly 200 adults per year who will receive treatment for addiction issues ranging from alcohol to prescription drug use. Length of stay varies from 14 to 42 days with an average length of stay of 28 days.
“We are so happy to offer our patients this new, more modern facility that offers a true, home-like environment that is a key part of the recovery process,” said SWFAS Transitional Living Center Director Rosemary Boisvert.
The new 5,067 square foot Adult Residential Center replaces a 1950s duplex that contained six bedrooms and two bathrooms, serving 12 people at a time. Boisvert said the structure needed so many costly repairs that it was more cost-effective to tear it down and replace it.
Among the features of the new center are:
- 10 bedrooms most serving two persons, although private rooms are available;
- 6 bathrooms, offering more privacy than the previous facility which had just two bathrooms for 12 people;
- Common living room that also serves as a group meeting space;
- Two counselors’ offices for individual sessions;
- Hurricane-rated windows;
- Icynene soft foam insulation and air barrier materials to improve efficiency/comfort, saving up to 50 percent each month in energy costs;
- High efficiency 14 SEER air conditioning units;
- White metal roof to reflect the sun’s rays; Energy Start approved with an extremely high initial reflectivity;
The Adult Residential Center was built with $463,000 in funds from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, through the Lee County Commission, along with numerous donations from churches, corporations and individuals.
The new home is extremely energy efficient and is expected to reduce energy usage by up to 50 percent, according to Boisvert.
The TLC now provides residential treatment for 46 men and women with drug and/or alcohol problems or adults with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders inn either a short-term residential program (one month) or in a four to six-month transitional living program.
Permanent supportive housing also is offered for an additional 34 individuals and up to two families in a variety of duplexes on the TLC campus that stretches from Dixie Parkway to Grand Avenue in central Fort Myers.
Residents of permanent supportive housing are expected to live a drug-free lifestyle, obtain work, and pay monthly rent that is based on their income. The facility is supported by 24/7 staff on the TLC campus and medical management is available, as needed.
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 and two in Hendry County. In addition, SWFAS provides detoxification services for adults, prevention programming, and an Employee Assistance Program for about 60 Southwest Florida businesses.
SWFAS services are not free. Fees are charged on a sliding scale, based on family income. In many cases, private insurance is accepted. SWFAS is a United Way agency.
For more information, contact Boisvert at 338-2977 or visit www.swfas.org.