BARNESVILLE — The Mental Health and Recovery Board hosted an open house for Belharmon Recovery Services from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at 124 S. Lincoln Ave. in Barnesville.

“We’re hoping to open at the end of September, so not an exact date yet, but we’re in the process of finalizing the staff that we’re hiring for down here, along with just getting everything else set up,” Troy Beynon, chief operating officer at Cedar Ridge Behavioral Health Solutions, said.

The detox facility will provide medically monitored withdrawal management programs for residents of Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties. The facility will operate in partnership with Cedar Ridge Behavioral Health Solutions, based in Cambridge, Ohio. Beynon said that Cedar Ridge is excited to be partnering with the Mental Health and Recovery Board.

The facility will have eight beds and will serve individuals 18 years or older who have an identified need for withdrawal management services from an addictive substance such as opioids, alcohol, methamphetamine and benzodiazepines. The facility will be co-ed, and all rooms will be private.

In addition to the eight rooms, the two-story facility will have exam rooms, office spaces, a laundry facility, a kitchen and dining areas and common spaces for those who are admitted.

Admission to the facility must be voluntary.

Beynon said the individuals will complete an initial screening over the phone to determine if detox is the right level of care for them.

“Once they’re determined to be appropriate for that level of care, transportation is arranged or they’re able to be dropped off at the facility here,” he said.

The facility will offer assessment and service planning, medical screenings, case management, referrals to aftercare services, brief interventions and Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

“We will have 24/7 admissions and intakes along with the transportation available for those who need transportation here as well,” Beynon said.

The withdrawal management programs offered will be short-term and last three to five days.

Services will be provided by a multidisciplinary team made up of a physician, nurses, social workers, counselors and peer recovery specialists. Staff and security will be present at the recovery services center at all times.

Those who are admitted to the recovery center can pay through their insurance provider or out of pocket.

Lisa Ward, executive director of the Mental Health and Recovery Board, said that the new facility has been in the works for three years. She said that she wanted to bring a detox facility to Barnesville for several reasons.

“There is a local hospital just down the street, so we have the emergency room. We have access to that. We did some legwork in the beginning and really talked to the community, village council, the fire department, the police department, and they were all very much behind this type of service, this type of resource being available here in Barnesville,” she said.

Ward said that she hopes the facility will bring needed resources to the area.

“I think a lot of people can understand the challenges around living in Appalachia with transportation, with not having a lot of local medical care, including detox. Oftentimes, our residents have to travel maybe an hour and a half or two hours away. When somebody’s ready, it’s really important that they have access to those services then, so now we’re able to bring that to our community so that somebody living local can actually get to the services they need,” she said.

Ward said that she has seen an increase in overdoses in Belmont County. She said the health department works in collaboration with the Mental Health and Recovery Board’s Prevention Coalition and provides quarterly overdose reports.

“We want to reduce the number of individuals who overdose here in Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties and offer them this kind of resource so they know that there’s hope, and they can return to their families and live a quality of life that we all want,” Ward said.

“The goal is just to be able to provide that additional access to care for the local community. Detox and withdrawal is usually the first step that someone starts and continues through their treatment recovery,” Beynon said.

Cedar Ridge has been servicing Guernsey County since 2014 and has expanded to Belmont and Muskingum counties.

Belharmon Recovery Services will host its ribbon cutting at noon Sept. 15.

The Mental Health and Recovery Board is a branch of county government that was created to establish a unified system of mental health and addiction recovery services for citizens of Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties. Its mission is to foster a mental health and addiction system of care, in partnership with the community, and build upon collective strengths and principles of recovery. The organization is committed to providing residents a pathway to healthier lives through quality mental health, alcohol and drug prevention, treatment and support services.

For more information, go to bhmboard.org.