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KBIA’s Health & Wealth Desk covers the economy and health of rural and underserved communities in Missouri and beyond. The team produces a weekly radio segment, as well as in-depth features and regular blog posts. The reporting desk is funded by a grant from the University of Missouri, and the Missouri Foundation for Health.Contact the Health & Wealth desk.

Phoenix Health Programs to Begin In-Patient Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Women

Rebecca Smith
/
KBIA

Phoenix Health Programs has been serving the Columbia community for more than 40 years. It offers various services for people struggling with substance use disorders:  in-patient treatment for men, out-patient treatment for everyone, and soon - both detoxification services and in-patient treatment for women.

We sat down with Heather Harlan, the prevention and treatment engagement specialist for Phoenix Health programs to talk about the new in-patient treatment for women that will be available starting February 2, 2016. 

Why don’t you run me through a quick history of Phoenix Health Programs and the kinds of services you provide? 

Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life for those impacted by drugs and alcohol. We've been in the community 41 years… As far as services we do have detoxification services for adult men and we have had residential for men for a number of years. [We have] 25 beds for adult men. We have intensive out-patient, which is maybe about 9 hours a week for adult men and women, and then we have out-patient, which is maybe an hour or a few hours a week for adults, men and women, and for adolescents age 12 and up.

So the new in-patient treatment for women – is it in the same facility?

We have a separate building actually that had been a multipurpose area. And we've converted that through some grants to be the Women's Treatment Center.

A similar capacity to the men's program?

It's much smaller. It's going to be about 6 -8 beds. Which we wish it was larger, but you have to start somewhere and we're really appreciative that we can do that. Again, as we looked at the evidence, our main reason was to continue to serve everyone well. And we know, the evidence shows us that women do better in treatment when they have gender specific groups.

Do we have any idea why that is? 

It has to do with many women overall actually many of the participants that we have in our programs - men and women - have suffered trauma in their lives. For women, that's often trauma that was inflicted by men. Not always but often. Women have fewer economic resources, women have a greater vulnerability to violence and women have more family responsibilities. Those are things that women share that may be obstacles or maybe make their treatment more difficult. So we have groups that are more ready to discuss that and to be able to help women overcome those barriers to access treatment.

Why now? Why open an in-patient clinic for women now?

Well, most of your listeners may know, we have more people die every year from drug overdoses than we lose in car accidents. So Phoenix just felt we couldn’t stand by to watch this without making more services available to women who comprise a little more than half of our population. And also, a part of this is detoxification services. Detoxification is not treatment. It’s sort of a separate step by itself. It’s a necessary step for treatment. But it’s where the individual comes out from the active influence of the drug. And it may take several days. It depends on what they've used and for how long and how much… Right now in Boone County the only option for detoxification services is a hospital setting.

Why here? Why is there a need in Columbia?  Or is it just a general need in the population of the United States to have this treatment available?

So we felt like nationally and locally we just needed more resources for women for treatment.

Credit Phoenix Health Programs

What's your elevator pitch for in-patient women's treatment here for substance abuse at Phoenix Health Programs?

I would say let us help you find and get the life you want. What works for you? And most of us need help for that. And what's happened to these women is they may have gotten off track. They didn't plan to - they didn't mean to. So we are honored when people invite us in in the worst chapter of their lives perhaps to come alongside and help them identify what's valued and help them create the resources to move their lives that direction. So I would say give us the opportunity to help you create - not dictate to you, not impose something on you - but collaborate with you to discover a life that works for you.

Rebecca Smith is an award-winning reporter and producer for the KBIA Health & Wealth Desk. Born and raised outside of Rolla, Missouri, she has a passion for diving into often overlooked issues that affect the rural populations of her state – especially stories that broaden people’s perception of “rural” life.
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