The new Mind Springs Health withdrawal management facility in Glenwood Springs officially opened last month, creating a new support resource for community members and alleviating capacity pressure on hospitals and law enforcement. Last week, regional outreach director Hans Lutgring, MSW, and program coordinator Andre Gossweiler spoke with The Sopris Sun about what the center offers and the vision for this community resource.
The center’s creation came from a five-year-long process initiated by and for the Roaring Fork Valley community, which Mind Springs is happy to support. It “started from a notion of mobile recovery,” explained Gossweiler, and in the broader view, “a desire to get to the heart of why people need detox” to support more sustainable and effective care and resources.
Key aspects of the center’s care model include certification for a higher level of care than was previously available. The new Glenwood Springs facility is certified for “Medically Managed Withdrawal Management” and a 3.7-level American Society for Addiction Medicine care standard, high-intensity inpatient treatment that includes 24-hour psychological and medical monitoring if necessary. This level of care was previously only available in local hospitals at limited capacity and in larger hospitals in Grand Junction and the Front Range, less than ideal for community members in crisis. Lutgring said “the 3.7 medically-managed model is so much more efficient for clients getting to us. Clients do not have to come in through a hospital or ER.”
This accessibility is one of several ways the withdrawal center is lowering obstacles to treatment. Valley residents can walk into the center or have friends or family drop them off without scheduling in advance. Citizens in need can be referred by local hospitals, but they don’t have to be. In fact, Gossweiler emphasized that the Mind Springs center is a great resource for folks wanting guidance on a course of action, from immediate treatment needs to how to manage whatever phase of substance recovery they are navigating. Calling the withdrawal center can help clarify necessary steps for individuals and their families. “For serious cases, clients may go to the ER first,” Lutgring acknowledged, but the withdrawal center has created “significantly more capacity than what existed before.” Another benefit of being certified at 3.7-level care is that the center is “speaking the same language as law enforcement and hospitals, which simplifies the process” when clients are referred by ERs or police.
Regarding resources for community members struggling with substances, both Gossweiler and Lutgring highlighted the value of building a stronger recovery ecosystem. For now, said Gossweiler, resources “can be case dependent. Our number one priority is safety. We’re getting people who may be a danger to themselves or others through our doors to help get them stable.”
Once at the center, the high level of medical support helps clients through critical phases of detox first, then follows up with additional resources. “Treatment does not stop at the door,” Lutgring explained. The center’s peer specialists can help clients feel seen and understood in their recovery journey and explain options. The process of reconnection and “creating rapport, trust, familiarity” are facets of recovery the withdrawal center is making available. “The mobile recovery team here is vital to this stop on the continuum,” Lutgring said.
When it comes to the long-term vision, the Glenwood Springs withdrawal center is most focused on strengthening community connections. Per Lutgring, the center “has secured a multi-year community partner commitment to help launch the program and offset any additional costs associated with providing this essential service on the Recovery Continuum. For the first few years, we will be building our sustainability plans as we increase our volume and average daily occupancy.” The initial capacity is nine beds and will remain static for now. The focus is very much on de-siloing the approach to substance recovery.
The withdrawal center staff and management are “constantly thinking about how we approach recovery and service as a safety net for substance use and mental health cases,” Lutgring shared. Gossweiler agreed that the center is about far more than just taking clients through the physical withdrawal process. “Our aim is to serve as a hub to other treatment resources. No one should feel like they’re going through this alone.”
The Mind Springs withdrawal center is located at 2802 South Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs, directly adjacent to the Garfield County outpatient clinic. More information can be found on the website (www.mindspringshealth.org/glenwood-springs), including a schedule of peer support group meetings and information about sliding-scale, income-based payment options.