First residential substance use treatment center to open in Las Vegas — Daniel Montaño
The New Mexico Department of Health today announced a new residential detox and substance abuse treatment center in Las Vegas will be open to clients later this month.
Clients will start checking in on August 24, but Tim Shields, hospital administrator with the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute, said the Epi-Duran Substance Abuse Treatment facility has been in the works for almost 10 years.
“People from this part of the state wanted to have a substance use facility here so that we wouldn't have to send people from this area across the state – all the way down to Las Cruces in some cases – to get treatment and then try to get them back here,” he said.
NMBHI is a state-owned-and-operated 300-acre campus, with several other kinds of facilities where the new treatment center is located.
“It's a quiet space, and it's pretty serene, and I think it's really relaxed,” Shields said. “I think that people can come here and really dive into the treatment that they're seeking.”
Initially the 28 bed facility will reserve eight of those spots for detox services with the remaining 20 kept for residential treatment, but Shields said that ratio can be adjusted to fit whatever needs they might have, and will be split between men’s and women’s wings.
Shields said there are not many other providers in the area. A KUNM review identified one detox and an outpatient clinic, but this is the first residential substance abuse treatment facility in the area.
“We're trying to fill the gap. There's still a need for substance use disorders, the fentanyl crisis that's happening now,” he said. “We're still recovering from the opioid crisis, so there's definitely still a need to provide treatment. And then the research shows that doing it in the communities that people live in is kind of the best-case scenario.”
Shields said they are focused on serving the immediate surrounding area, but are working on a transportation plan so people from other areas of the state can also use their services.
The new facility will add a total of more than 30 jobs, with some positions still left to fill.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
