January 4, 2007
State Awards Contract for Treatment Centers
Helena-based Boyd Andrew Community Services has been hired to manage the state’s seven new long-term residential treatment facilities for low-income citizens, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced Friday.
Together the new centers form what is being called the Resident Treatment Expansion Consortium (RTEC) and will be located at sites across the state.
The first center will open this month in Billings at Rimrock Foundation.
In the coming months, additional sites will begin offering services in Great Falls, Rocky Boy, Boulder, Miles City, Kalispell and Bozeman. The following programs contracting with Boyd Andrew to operate the centers include:
- Billings, Rimrock Foundation
- Miles City Chemical Dependency Program
- Bozeman, Alcohol and Drug Services of Gallatin County
- Great Falls, Gateway Community Services
- Boulder, Boyd Andrew Community Services, Elkhorn Treatment Center
- Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, White Sky Hope Center
- Kalispell, Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Center
DPHHS Chemical Dependency Bureau chief Joan Cassidy said Boyd Andrew has a proven track record in Montana. “Boyd Andrew is one of the leaders in the state handling chemical dependency issues,” Cassidy said. “They are keenly aware of the state’s needs in relation to this issue.”
Boyd Andrew chief executive officer Mike Ruppert is grateful for the opportunity. “We’re honored the state has put their trust in us,” he said. “There have been huge waiting lists in Montana for services like this, and now state residents who need help will receive it much quicker.”
Boyd Andrew is a nonprofit corporation that has offered chemical dependency services for the past 35 years in Lewis and Clark, Broadwater and Jefferson counties. The company also operates the Helena Prerelease Center and the recently opened Elkhorn Treatment Center in Boulder. Ruppert said the company’s annual budget has grown from $600,000 to $8 million in the past eight years.
Ruppert said one basic philosophy links all the RTEC centers. “Residents will benefit by being able to live on-site and away from the environment that fosters their addiction,” he said.
However, there are some differences that set them apart. For example, the Rimrock Foundation and Elkhorn Treatment are considered 3.5 facilities meaning the treatment there will be more intense, in some cases 10 hours of counseling per day. “The people coming into this level of care are resistant, so they need a more restrictive environment,” Ruppert said.
By comparison, the other centers have a 3.1 rating and will cater to clients who don’t need as much supervision or counseling. “These centers are for people who are motivated, yet need a supportive environment,” Ruppert said.
Costs will be based on a sliding scale, depending on the client’s ability to pay. The centers primarily target methamphetamine addicts, but will serve others in need of treatment for alcohol or other drugs. At the 3.1 facilities, the cost will be about $70 per day and at the 3.5 centers will range in cost from $125 to $208 per day.
At the request of Governor Brian Schweitzer, the 2007 Legislature appropriated $4 million to fund the project. “Treatment works,” Governor Schweitzer said. “These centers will provide a stable environment for those who desperately need help to battle their addiction.”
Recent studies show that treatment is cost effective, with some measurements showing a benefit-to-cost ratio of up to 7:1.
Each center will serve 10-12 people annually and two locations will be devoted to only American Indian clients, Cassidy said. The program will serve about 107 people per year and residents will stay for six to nine months.
In general, those admitted into the program will be non-violent individuals with a minimal criminal past and are motivated to recover. Clients will receive follow-up care in their home community once they finish the treatment program as the road to recovery can last several years, Cassidy said.
Historically, state drug and alcohol treatment programs have received funding primarily from federal SAPT (Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment) Block Grant, Montana’s earmarked alcohol tax and Medicaid.
But, this is the first time money from the general fund has been used for community-based drug and alcohol treatment programs.
For more information call Cassidy at 406-444-6981.
Page last updated: 01/04/2008
