WRH medical detox unit is alternative to jailing user

Law enforcement officers, probate judges, attorneys and court officials crowded into the board room of Whitfield Regional Hospital Friday for an open house to learn about the detox services available in the hospital.

Director of the unit, Kate Crawford, surprised many of those in the audience when she said WRH was working to become the second state-funded medical detox unit in Alabama. As a secure medical detox facility, WRH’s unit is a secure alternative to jailing users in crisis. The only other state-funded medical detox unit is currently based in Birmingham.

The six-room, 12-bed secure unit houses adult patients undergoing detoxification from alcohol or certain drugs, she said. It usually takes five to seven days until the body is back to normal.

But, Crawford stressed, detox is only the first step in a long and tedious process to recovery.

“After detox is complete, we work with every patient to encourage them to go to further treatment,” she continued. “We don’t want to see them back.”

The medical and counseling staff at the WRH unit tries to find a rehabilitation center for outpatient or inpatient treatment to continue recovery.

The unit doesn’t take every drug or alcohol abuser, Crawford explained. Certain protocols must be met. Patients may be using many substances, but alcohol, benzodiazepines or opiates must be in their systems to be eligible for treatment.

“You made my job a whole lot easier,” said one probate judge.

Also speaking to the crowd was Shereda Finch, executive director of the Council on Substance Abuse in Montgomery. COSA is a prevention and recovery program that serves as a resource to those seeking help or offering it in the state.

“Everyone has the same interest, but there is no relationship” among the parties, she said.

Detox sometimes can be a lifesaving experience. Her organization provides support for recovering drug and alcohol abusers so they can remain sober.

“We bust the barriers” to get people back on track, Finch said, by offering help with housing, employment, earning a GED or even obtaining a birth certificate.

Also speaking was Skye Asti representing Florida Springs Wellness and Recover Center in Panama City, Fla.