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How 90-day treatment programs can help
Keisha Burley

As Ohio leads in the numbers for the state with the most heroin overdoses, many are calling for a complete reconstruction of the way addiction is handled. Once called “the epicenter of heroin addiction” by the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio had a reported 435,000 daily heroin users in 2016. This number is almost triple the amount of users in 2007. When exploring the idea of availability and cost, it is not difficult to see the correlation in the popularity of the drug in recent years.

[pullquote]Our ultimate goal is to assist all of our clients in moving toward greater stability[/pullquote]

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 78 people die from an opioid overdose every day, 29 of those deaths caused by heroin. Heroin is a powerful drug and unfortunately, some may not get the help they need as soon as they should. Fortunately, the amount of treatments and recovery facilities for heroin addiction are growing within the United States.

Leslie Kelly, program director for the Horizon House in Indianapolis, Indiana, talked about the importance of getting former addicts back on their feet.

“Our ultimate goal is to assist all of our clients in moving toward greater stability,” Kelly said.

With the risk of relapse totaling an 80 percent chance, Kelly says securing stable housing so that the individual can receive ongoing help is crucial. As the percentage of relapses grows, the percentage of recovery diminishes to 20 percent.

“We connect our clients to different treatment programs, whether it be for heroin or any other substance,” Kelly said. “We also provide ongoing care coordination during treatment and follow up case management after treatment. In some situations, we have designated funding to cover the cost of the treatment. When that is the case, we pay for the treatment as well as the ongoing and follow up services I previously mentioned.”

The Kent, Ohio Horizon House has an even more direct approach. The facility offers an in-house 90-day treatment program for adult women who struggle with heroin addiction. Citizens of Portage County and pregnant women are given priority when applying for the treatment. Cost for the treatment varies, but for most people, it’s free of charge because the program is funded through a Women’s Special Services Grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Portage County Mental Health and Recovery Board.

Rebecca Elifritz, a new mother and a person living in recovery, talked about her personal recovery process.

“It was an uphill climb for me, as I’m sure it is for any other addict,” Elifritz said. “The first half of the 90 days seemed to last forever.”

Not long after completing treatment, Elifritz moved to another halfway house that gave her more freedom but still provided her 24-hour access to a sponsor, if needed.

“I just thank God that I was able to find a treatment program before my pregnancy,” Elifritz said. “I feel like an actual success story. To think about where I was a couple of years ago and to think of where I am in life now, I can’t feel anything but extremely blessed.”

Recovery programs like Horizon House provide help for those who either can’t afford private rehabilitation treatments or who live in Ohio and want more localized help.

It is the hope of Horizon House to help as many people beat this addiction as they can so that the percentage of recovery eventually reaches 100 percent.

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