The Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center on Wednesday celebrated 50 years of recovery services and the expansion of treatment services for residents of eastern North Carolina.
“Substance use disorder is a disease — much like diabetes or high blood pressure — and it’s wreaking havoc on hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families all across North Carolina. The good news is that treatment works, recovery happens and individuals can re-engage in their lives, families, jobs and communities” said Kody H. Kinsley, DHHS Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. “The Walter B. Jones Center has long been a leader in providing evidence-based and life-saving treatment and is committed to continuing a legacy of service to North Carolinians.”
At the celebration, officials announced that the center is helping to fill the gap and get people with mental health needs out of emergency departments and the criminal justice system by providing 16 psychiatric specialized beds at what will be known as the Walter B. Jones Lakeside Psychiatric Hospital. The center will continue to provide substance abuse services at what will be known as the Walter B. Jones Woodside Treatment Center, which will operate 24 beds.
The new psychiatric hospital provides assistance to individuals with an active psychiatric disorder and possibly a secondary substance use disorder. People admitted to the psychiatric hospital can also receive inpatient opioid treatment services. The treatment center offers medical detoxification, inpatient crisis stabilization and inpatient opioid treatment services. It is seeking to increase staff to support clinical operations and triage services in the future.
“We began the process in 2016 and are happy to offer this important care to the residents of eastern North Carolina,” said The Walter B. Jones Center Director and CEO Ben Gregory. “We look forward to integrating our services with the treatment community that has supported our center over the years.”
The Walter B. Jones Center opened in 1969 as one of the first state-operated alcohol and drug abuse treatment services in the state, and since then has helped approximately 56,000 North Carolinians across 38 counties. Admission to the center is available to any adult, regardless of financial resources or insurance status.
Individuals pay on a sliding scale according to their income. North Carolina law provides for two types of admission procedures, voluntary and involuntary. Those in need can get help by contacting their LME/MCO for assistance with treatment or recovery. To find out which LME/MCO serves your county, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/providers/lme-mco-directory.
For more information about the facility, please visit The Walter B. Jones Center online at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dsohf/walter-b-jones.