Ground Broken for New Recovery House at Gateway Rehab's Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic in Youngstown

PITTSBURGH, June 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic (NKRC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gateway Rehab, today broke ground on a new 12-bed, recovery-supportive housing unit located adjacent to its main campus in Youngstown.

A $350,000 grant from the Mahoning Valley Hospital (MVH) Foundation is making construction of the recovery house possible.  Michael S. Senchak, president and CEO of the MVH Foundation, announced that the recovery house would be named "Doc's Place."  Senchak noted that the MVH Foundation wanted to recognize Wellington "Doc" Hager for his many years of alcohol and substance abuse counseling and support to the community.

"We are truly grateful for the support of Mike and the Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation in our continuing efforts to provide lasting recovery to those who seek our help," said Carolyn Givens, executive vice president of the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic. "Research shows that the longer patients are engaged in treatment and have access to support resources, the better their chances are for lasting recovery."

Doc's Place represents NKRC's second temporary residential housing unit for men in the early stages of recovery from substance abuse. Following the success of Gelbman House, built in 2014, Doc's Place will offer a supportive sober- and clean-living environment for NKRC patients who need more structure than what a regular outpatient program provides, but who no longer require detoxification services and medical monitoring. Services that will be provided will include housing; 24-hour security; meals and a full day of treatment services at NKRC's main facility; community-building skills with other residents in the house, and; recovery coaching to build resiliency and connection to the larger recovering community.

"The Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation is excited to collaborate with the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic in increasing the capacity of sober housing available within the tri-county area," Senchak said.  He went on to say that, he hopes other foundations and organizations support projects that focus on alcohol and substance abuse education, treatment and supportive housing.

Tracy J. Plouck, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said the agency applauds efforts to increase access to recovery supports in the state. "With access to critical supports such as safe, stable housing, individuals in recovery from substance use disorders are more likely to not just succeed, but thrive. Addiction is a chronic disease and the more robust supports that are in place, the more likely a person is to have positive, sustainable outcomes."

According to the Ohio Department of Health, unintentional drug overdoses caused 2,110 deaths of Ohio residents in 2013, up nearly 200 over 2012. Opioids (prescription or heroin) remain the primary driving factor behind the unintentional drug overdose epidemic in Ohio, with nearly 70 percent of drug overdoses involving opioids in 2013.

Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic was the nation's first nonprofit addiction treatment facility of its kind. Since its inception in 1946 as the Youngstown Committee on Alcoholism, Inc., NKRC has provided a safe, secure place where those with substance use disorders in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley can receive treatment. In 1999, NKRC became a wholly owned subsidiary of Gateway Rehab.

Gateway Rehab is a private, not-for-profit organization with the mission of helping all affected by addictive diseases to become healthy in body, mind and spirit.  A positive force and leading resource for effective education, prevention, research and treatment of substance use disorders, Gateway Rehab serves nearly 1,700 adults and youth daily through four divisions at locations throughout Western Pennsylvania and Ohio. For more information about Gateway Rehab, visit www.gatewayrehab.org.

SOURCE Gateway Rehab

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