The 2023 federal budget, a $1.7 trillion spending bill currently pending the President’s signature, will fulfill a request from La Plata County on the Southwest Opioid Response District’s behalf for substance abuse treatment.
Although nothing is finalized, the appropriation brings the region one step closer to constructing an inpatient treatment facility. SWORD first received $150,000 via the county following a request fulfilled by the budget passed in 2021. The money was used to hire Health Management Associates to assess whether it would be feasible to convert the former Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center into an inpatient treatment facility.
The county-owned building has remained vacant since the state suspended the operating license of Rite of Passage, the contractor that operated the detention center, in 2018.
According to La Plata County Commissioner and SWORD Treasurer Marsha Porter-Norton, the results of the feasibility study as expected in March or April of next year.
The money is allocated specifically for the renovation of the DeNier building. Even if the results show that the building would not be suitable for an inpatient facility, Porter-Norton said she and the SWORD board are confident that they can put the funds to beneficial use.
“Inpatient treatment is one tool in the tool kit,” Porter-Norton said. “ … We've learned that there's other things a facility could be used for that would expand treatment in the region (if inpatient is not feasible).”
SWORD was formed as a council of the Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado in accordance with the terms of the Colorado Opioids Settlement Memorandum of Understanding. The council is tasked with distributing funds from the settlement against pharmaceutical manufacturers. The regional impact of the epidemic of overdoses has not spared any of southwest’s cities or counties, and has had an economic impact on businesses as well.
The region suffers from a severe lack of resources when it comes to long-term treatment. While outpatient services are available, anyone in need of inpatient services must travel to Grand Junction or Denver, often at great expense. A facility in the DeNier building, located within two hours of many of the area’s major towns and cities, could change that.
However, the challenges are myriad.
The building as it currently sits is constructed as a jail. Porter-Norton said that the increasing emphasis on trauma informed care highlights that if the space is to operate as an inpatient facility, it would require significant renovations.
“The (renovation) is worth it versus having to go out, especially in Durango and La Plata County, and try to find land and put in something entirely new,” Porter-Norton said. “So, this is all very much a collaborative work in process with SWORD and Region 9 and our regional stakeholders.”
The building would be an in-kind donation from La Plata County. The facility, located in Bodo Park, has an assessed value of $926,680, although the actual value on the market could be much more than that.
Questions regarding the long-term source of funding for such a facility also linger. Porter-Norton said billing individuals as well as private and public insurance could help, but plans remain unclear. If inpatient treatment services cannot be provided in Durango, Porter-Norton said the council intends to provide other services for those who return to the area after receiving treatment.
“The resource that we put in place will be regional – and that is important,” Porter-Norton said.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
