Home For Recovering Addicts Might Close
A halfway house for recovering female drug addicts might be closing its doors in the coming months unless fundraising efforts are successful.The possible closing of…
A halfway house for recovering female drug addicts might be closing its doors in the coming months unless fundraising efforts are successful.
The possible closing of Opal House in the nearby Ashtabula County community of Jefferson was announced during a Geauga County Opiate Task Force meeting last Wednesday.
“This has been a rumor. Unfortunately, it turns out this is true,” said Chardon Municipal Court Judge Terri Stupica, task force chairwoman.
Opened in March 2013, Opal House is a nine-bedroom transitional home for women recovering from drug addiction who have completed rehabilitation programs offered in hospitals, the Geauga County Safety Center or other facilities.
Bridges to Discovery — a nonprofit organization that helps women from Geauga County and elsewhere in Northeast Ohio gradually transition from drug rehabilitation back into everyday life — operates the rented home.
In a Thursday email to task force members, Bridges to Discovery spokeswoman Carol Derov said the possible closing is the result of several reasons.
Among them is the lessee’s decision to sell the home, which has stirred interest in having Bridges to Discovery purchase the house, provided it can raise sufficient money, Derov said.
During the task force meeting, however, Stupica said future funding is a problem.
Many Opal House occupants have come from Glenbeigh, a nearby Rock Creek drug and alcohol rehabilitation specialty hospital operated by the Cleveland Clinic.
Glenbeigh, however, has announced plans to open its own transitional housing rather than place its former clients in Opal House, the judge said.
Derov also said more Opal House residents lack the $75 weekly rent to temporarily live in the facility, which is experiencing higher operating costs.
“All these issues have served to create the perfect storm and we are actively seeking ways in which to combat a closing,” Derov said in her email.
Should the facility close, it would be a blow to many recovering women addicts who are not ready to transition from a rehabilitation center to the stresses and challenges of life without Opal House’s help and guidance, Stupica said.
“We have applied for grants and to date, have received none,” Derov said. “We will be working on more grants.”
Fundraising events are being planned, she added.
Donations to Opal House can be made at www.gofundme.com/saveopalhouse or at any Key Bank to the Opal House/Bridges to Discovery account.
Despite the possible loss of Opal House, Melanie Blasko, president and CEO of Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers, said her agency is planning to open a halfway house for recovering male drug addicts somewhere in Geauga County in the coming months.
The center has received a $90,000 grant toward the purchase of an existing home, she said.
Among those speaking at the task force meeting were Dr. Bob Faehnle, Leadership Geauga executive director, and attorney Kevin O’Reilly, a Leadership Geauga board member.
The men said their organization is exploring the possibility of having panel discussions for area high school students about the dangers of using drugs, including heroin.
The idea resulted from a Leadership Geauga health and safety day held last month, during which a panel of doctors and law enforcement officials presented information on drug use, they said.
“We’d like kids to be exposed to or involved in the same kind of panel discussions because we don’t think schools in the county are doing anything like this to educate kids about the dangers of drugs,” Faehnle said.
Stupica and others quickly supported the idea, but said school officials might be overwhelmed with upcoming state-mandated Common Core tests and other responsibilities to help organize such panel discussions.
O’Reilly suggested using 4-H clubs and youth church group meetings as possible venues for student panel discussions led by medical experts, treatment specialists and law enforcement officials.
Other ideas included:
Hold events during evenings because school day schedules might not afford the time needed for a panel discussion;
Invite a well-known sports personality who supports anti-drug efforts in the hope of drawing a large number of students and parents.
An enthused Stupica said she would send emails to school administrators asking for suggestions and ask community leaders “who I know have contacts.”
Because only nine drug addicts came before her court in December, Stupica said she was “hopeful the (drug) scourge was waning.”
Since Jan. 1, however, 32 addicts have come before her.
This does not include individuals charged in recent drug busts in Chester Township or four people arrested after an inmate overdosed on drugs recently smuggled into the Geauga County Safety Center, Stupica said.
