Erie County praised for pursuing detox center

SANDUSKY — From Thomas Edison to NASA Plum Brook, Erie County is home to many pioneers and innovative projects improving the world for all.Now add drug recovery services and those overseeing them to the leading-edge list.Several dignitaries on Thursday praised Erie County health commissioner Pete Schade, along with his board members and colleagues, for relentlessly pursuing the area's first detox center anywhere between Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.The 16-bed center on the health department's Superior Street campus in Sandusky will provide medically supervised, around-the-clock treatment as addicts enter the first stage of recovery: detoxification.It's one part of a full "circle of care" for addiction recovery services, which includes in-patient treatment and a sober-living facility, such as Genesis by the Lake.A detox facility can properly treat people and, ideally, reduce the startling amount of drug-related fatalities occurring locally and skyrocketing in recent years.Construction on the detox center started Thursday, commemorated by a groundbreaking ceremony attended by 150 people, including several locals in recovery.The facility should open its doors to help locals — which includes residents in Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky counties — by mid-2017."This is a disease we have to battle as a community, and we have to be proactive," Schade said. "This is truly a community project with local, state and federal partners coming together."Schade received $2 million to build the detox unit. Four equal shares of $500,000 came from his health department, the Erie County commissioners, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa Counties and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services."This is a community that is stepping up," said Doug Bailey, a representative with the state's mental health and addiction services organization. "You're realizing that you have to do things differently. You are working together to save lives and helping out folks who will be coming here. Those are our neighbors, our friends, our children, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers."Two state officials — state Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, and state Rep. Steve Arndt, R-Port Clinton — played critical, behind-the-scenes roles in securing the state's $500,000 portion."Steve and Randy have combined to become two of the hardest-working and most effective legislators Erie County has ever had," said Erie County commissioner Pat Shenigo, who's a Democrat and a longtime supporter of a local detox center. "We are fortunate that they put party politics aside and work for all of us so that our county gets its fair share of attention in Columbus."Both state officials addressed attendees."This is really another example of what is right in Erie County," Gardner said. "I don't think there is any county fighting harder for this cause than Erie County. I really believe that."Added Arndt: "Erie County is the leader in the state on this initiative. But this is really larger than Erie County. This is going to give the opportunity for regionalized efforts to properly address addiction."Shenigo also spoke about the detox center's importance."Too many people are dying," Shenigo said. "We should have done this a year ago. We should have the in-patient piece in place right now. We should have all the tools to help people. But today is a good day. It's our duty, as Erie County citizens, to figure out what we need to do to make Erie County a safer and better place, and this helps that." Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOurielBefore a Thursday groundbreaking ceremony, Julie DiRossi-King and Heather Porter from the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers look at renderings of Erie County's new detox center in Sandusky. Joey Supina, middle, and his wife, Mary, to his left, from Sandusky Artisans Recovery Community Center, are among dozens that attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new detox center at the Erie County Health Department in Sandusky on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. Erie County health commissioner Pete Schade kicks off the groundbreaking ceremony for the new detox center in Sandusky on Thursday. The 16-bed center, located on the health department's Superior Street campus in Sandusky, will provide medically supervised, around-the-clock treatment as addicts enter the first stage of recovery: detoxification. A rendering shows what the new Erie County detox center will look like.Local officials partake in an official groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday to commemorate a detox center being built at the Erie County Health Department in Sandusky.