A local drug and alcohol treatment center is celebrating recent recognition from the state.
The Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center has been named a Center of Excellence for inpatient treatment of opioid use disorders by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
Centers of Excellence are designed to treat individuals for addiction as well as improve their overall health and wellbeing. Physical, mental and behavioral health issues are addressed, and peer-to-peer support is provided through care management teams made up of social workers, counselors, certified recovery specialists, nurses, peer navigators, care managers and physicians.
Social support like job training, childcare and housing, transportation and educational support services are often coordinated by Centers of Excellence through networks of community partners. Governor Tom Wolf introduced the Center of Excellence initiative in 2016 in response to the widespread overdose crisis.