A celebration has been held to mark completion of a home in Benton Harbor to house individuals going through a drug recovery program after being released from jail.
Speaking to colleagues Thursday, Berrien County Commissioner Julie Wuerfel said the First Church of God just finished improvements to the home using opioid settlement dollars provided to it by the county. She said those enrolled in the drug treatment program run by the church go through rigorous counselling.
“It’s a one-year program for anybody that enters the house,” Wuerfel said. “If they make it for the year, they understand some people will fail, and they’re going to be very strict with their rules. But you will start the day, it’ll start at 8 a.m. with Bible study and devotions around the kitchen table. Everything is centered around that table in the house. They will have treatments Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I believe.”
Wuerfel said those in the program are cut off from the world for about 90 days to get away from any habits they had before entering. Eventually, they get jobs and are put through financial wellness training.
Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette said this is one of the first ways any county funds from a national opioid settlement have gone to a treatment program. He was surprised by how nice the house is.
“Everything is brand new,” Dissette said. “It’s brand new furniture, new bedding so folks moving in, it is not going to be an uncomfortable space for them.”
The home can house up to six individuals.
Berrien County is receiving about $8 million over the next 16 years to fight opioids. The county’s Opioid Task Force this year selected the First Church of God and Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center as the county s first partners to take that money and use it to fight addiction.
First Church is receiving $420,000 over the next three years to open two transitional living homes for men getting out of jail. Sacred Heart is receiving $484,000 to expand opioid treatment services and peer recovery programming.
