Lorain County to receive $1.5 million for a new drug treatment center

The federal government has awarded $1.5 million to Lorain County to create a treatment center for people suffering from a behavioral health or substance use disorder crisis, the Nord Center and the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County announced Monday.

The two organizations will partner with other community groups, including the LCADA Way to create the center, which will provide an additional treatment option for people suffering a crisis.

“Our local emergency rooms and law enforcement agencies are currently the treatment choice options for those in crisis. This center will provide a therapeutic, warm and welcoming setting in which to facilitate recovery by providing help through medication stabilization, access to case management, counseling services and appropriate assessment,” wrote Nord Center CEO Don Schiffbauer in a media release.

The center will benefit the community because it will reduce crowding in emergency rooms and decrease the use of law enforcement personnel for crisis management, the release said.

“This because, at a Crisis Receiving Center, law enforcement can drop a client off in a matter of minutes rather than potentially spending hours waiting with them at an emergency department,” according to the release.

The congressional funding will be combined with those already received from the MHARS Board of Lorain County, the Lorain County Commissioners, the Nord Family Foundation, and the Bass Family, to create the center.

It will be housed in a new building, a MHARS Board of Lorain County spokesperson said Monday. Currently, stakeholders are evaluating possible locations.

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