Avera Health plans to build an Addiction Care Center on its new campus at 69th and Louise in Sioux Falls. Avera psychiatrist Dr. Matthew Stanley says an estimated 10%-15% of the general population struggles with some kind of chemical dependency.
The $8 million new facility will include a residential building, space for day treatment, a group dining area, and a meditation room. Dr. Stanley says the facility will help Avera provide more comprehensive care for those suffering from addiction. Part of that approach includes recognizing and treating what practitioners call co-occurring disorders.
He says, "The idea is that you have a mental health illness such as depression, but you also have a problem with chemical dependency such as an alcohol addiction."
Dr. Stanley says up to 80% of patients have co-occuring disorders. He also says it's important to treat both at the same time rather than waiting for a patient to stay sober before treating the underlying issue.
He emphasizes that addiction is a chronic medical disease, but there's no single path to recovery. He's glad the new facility will appraoch treatment with a holistic focus on mind, body, and spirit.
"And I think in turn, that will give people that have dealt with guilt and shame and fear about seeking treatment--I hope it will give them a greater strength or greater opportunity to seek care now that they may have been avoiding," Dr. Stanley says.
Construction on the Avera Addiction Care Center is set to begin this summer, and the facility is expected to open in mid-2019.