Drug treatment office opens in Van Wert

Van Wert independent

A new substance abuse facility opened its doors with a ribboncutting ceremony on Wednesday.

Pinnacle Treatment Centers recently located in what was formerly Groups at 927 Fox Road. According to Pinnacle Regional Director Greg Byer, Pinnacle has purchased approximately 17 Groups offices in Ohio.

Unlike Groups, Byers said Pinnacle Treatment Centers accept Medicaid payments — something that should make treatment more cost-effective for area residents trying to break the cycle of opioid addiction.

With the purchase of Groups, Pinnacle currently serves approximately 20 people for drug addiction and provides several types of counseling services — including individual, marital, and group counseling — and both outpatient and inpatient opioid treatment programs, as well as detoxification and medication assisted treatment (MAT) using methadone, suboxone, and Vivitrol.

Byers said that number is expected to increase to somewhere around 100 people in the coming months.

The local office currently provides group counseling sessions on Monday morning and afternoon.

“We look to expand those services to individual counseling, and to expand to intensive outpatient programming as well,” Byers noted.

He also thanked the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce for helping with the ribboncutting on Wednesday, while also noting that the New Jersey-based Pinnacle focuses on becoming a part of each community it serves.

“The plague of opioid addiction is everywhere right now, and even with a small town of 11,000 it’s an issue here,” Byers said.