Addiction services detail pandemic struggles, triumphs

MEDINA — Keeping up life-saving help for those living with addiction and mental health problems has not been easy for Medina County service agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, efforts detailed Monday paint a picture of hard work paying off in many areas. At the Recovery Center of Medina County, 538 W. Liberty St., in-person support meetings have resumed after nearly a year of relying on Zoom and other online communication avenues. The recovery center operates on the second floor of Serenite Restaurant & Culinary Institute. Under prepandemic circumstances, students would take part in daily groups and other aspects of their rehabilitation while also working on the first floor as restaurant employees, part of a formal culinary arts education curriculum. Serenite general manager Bradford Toth said Monday that all culinary program members taking part before COVID-19 shutdowns were instituted have returned aside from one, who only left to accept a higher paying job. "We tried to do to-go but it wasn't really sustainable for us at that point," he said regarding last spring. "We closed down until the middle of June and I checked in with the front of the house students who'd been here with us. Our chef worked with the back of the house students, just to see what was going on and that they were remaining in the right frame of mind." A graduation ceremony was held at Sunday at Serenite for the program's most recent class, a commencement significantly delayed by the pandemic. "With COVID, and obviously addiction, people have had more time on their hands and I've certainly seen an uptick in people needing help," Toth said. "Not necessarily here among our students, but just among recovery services in general. I've definitely seen more relapses and situations like that with COVID than in normal times." While helping those struggling with addiction served as the primary inspiration for the program's creation, its scope has grown to include those living with mental health difficulties and conditions. Serenite opened in March 2018 and followed a model set by Cleveland's Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute. Operating budgets since then have been predominantly made up of donations and revenues from the restaurant. Medina resident Wendi Vicory now works as a manager at Serenite after coming to the program as part of recovery from opioid addiction. She said remaining in touch with loved ones since that time and especially during COVID-19 has helped her avoid any sort of relapse. "I have a 14-year-old son too, so that company has also helped a lot," Vicory said. "I've just tried not to isolate myself and I think it's been very good for me and my family. There's just a lot of good people around here who care and want to help out. Don't be afraid to reach out to them or anyone." Women's recovery center expected to open soon Officials hope to open a 12-bed recovery center for women in Medina by April after COVID-19 caused the project to be delayed for roughly one year. That $1 million facility, called Discovery Recovery House, will work out of a new building at 189 Northland Drive. Medina County Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board Executive Director Phillip Titterington said getting the new center up and running will be a welcome sight for project backers and those expected to make use of services. "This was all built, ready to go, and put on hold because of the virus," he said. "We're hearing April and that's what we're hopeful for. It's brand new and ready for our residents as a level three recovery house, which means some out-patient services can be provided there, too." OhioGuidestone, whose counselors are certified in behavioral health, will provide treatment inside the facility under ADAMH Board administration. Titterington said roughly 35 to 40 Medina County residents are referred to the ADAMH Board for help with addiction each month by the nearby Hope Recovery Community, 200 Highland Drive. "These people are recommended for services and they usually end up somewhere as close as possible, many times in a surrounding county," he said. "It's a matter of tracking down open detox beds, which of course, has been harder over the past year." ADAMH Board funding provided to Medina's Cathy's House, 515 W. Liberty St., has allowed for expansion projects to make it easier to house as many as 11 men and seven women simultaneously, Titterington said. "We're very happy with the work they've done there and continue to do there," he said. "Our peer support staff has also begun working with the Medina County Jail population. There are many times where people need any help possible when they're trying to rebuild their lives and we want to help provide that." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330)721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.