Programs at the “ARC” will Continue to
Combat Substance Abuse Issues
December 8, 2006, Boulder, CO — Next summer
Boulder County residents will see a new building just north
of Valmont Park. The new $1.9 million facility, approved by
voters in 2003, is designated to house the Boulder County
Public Health Inpatient Detox Program. It is the only
non-medical detoxification facility in Boulder County. The
new building will provide 20 beds, with room to increase to
30, and will allow Detox Program staff to better meet the
increasingly complex needs of Detox Program clients. Clients
will receive individualized monitoring for safe detoxification
from alcohol and/or drugs, assessment for counseling needs,
information and education on alcohol and drugs, and case
management and referral for medical, housing, legal, and
employment services. But the move of the Detox Center from
its home at the Addiction Recovery Center (ARC) on North
Broadway will not leave the building empty - far from it.
Although the ground floor that currently holds the Detox
Center will be re-evaluated for use by many Boulder County
departments, the ARC will continue to provide outpatient
services to more than 800 clients each year. “Substance
abuse continues to be a serious public health problem in
Boulder County,” said Chuck Stout, Boulder County Public
Health Director. The statewide Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) continues to rank Boulder County
higher than both state and national averages for both chronic
and binge drinking.
“Considering the impact that substance abuse has on a
community, particularly on our children, it’s imperative that
the community knows that we will continue to provide programs
to those that need help, at both the new detox facility, and
at the Addiction Recovery Center,” Stout said. Boulder
County Department of Social Services (DSS) staff estimates
that substance abuse is implicated in more than 50% of child
protection cases. Methamphetamine use is reported to be
involved in 80% of the current child protection cases in
Longmont.
“From a public health standpoint, dealing with the issue of
substance abuse in our community is non-negotiable,” said
Stout. Substance abusers continue to be at very high risk for
HIV and viral hepatitis, as well as very high rates of unmet
medical, dental, and reproductive health needs, and they are
more likely to be tobacco users.
“The programs at the ARC are aimed at reducing substance
abuse and the criminality and family dysfunction that often
goes along with it,” said Ann Noonan, Behavioral Health
Clinical Coordinator for Boulder County Public Health.
“Priority is placed on referrals from the criminal justice
system and the Department of Social Services.” Programs
range from drug and alcohol treatment for those under court
order for driving while impaired/intoxicated, to programs
designed to meet the specific needs of pregnant and parenting
women and teenagers involved in the juvenile justice and
social service systems. For more information about the Detox
Center or the outpatient programs provided by Boulder County
Public Health, please visit
www.BoulderCountyARC.org or call 303-441-1275. |
