Cincinnati-based BrightView Health is Ohio’s largest substance use treatment agency. It provides those services in seven other states with more than 85 facilities. On November 2, it opened its newest center on Burkhardt Road. WYSO’s Jerry Kenney spoke with Keitha Siler, Community Outreach Manager for Brightview Montgomery Countyabout the agency’s growth and how their approach to addiction services.
Keitha Siler: Addiction is a chronic progressive, potentially fatal disease for which there is effective medical treatment, and with the right treatment, many people can achieve their long-term recovery. So, what treatment looks like for Brightview is a person's first day in treatment, it would include medical and clinical assessment, then they would visit the physician. Their medication may be prescribed if it feels that is what the provider thinks is necessary. If it's determined that a patient needs substance abuse treatment, the next steps would include creating an individual treatment plan for that patient, scheduling all of their future appointments, as well as their individual and group counseling sessions, and then addressing their immediate needs, which could be food, housing, transportation. So, that's what their first day of treatment would actually look like.
When they leave, they know what their future steps are going to look like when their individual counseling appointments will be, when their group counseling sessions will be, and what follow up would need to take place as far as us helping them with locating a place to safely sleep, or if they have the food needs where we can connect them with agencies that can assist them with that.
I think the two biggest barriers, of course, are going to be the stigma that comes with it, how they're going to pay for it, and then also thinking that treatment providers have waiting lists. Brightview does not have a waiting list, so you can walk in our doors and receive treatment same day. There will never be a waiting list with Brightview, and we do offer those walk in hours that are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at all of our locations. We do have a call center at - it's our main call center that covers all eight states - and that number is 1-833-510-HELP, and that is a 24-7 call center so at any hour of the day, you can call and speak to a live person to get treatment.
Jerry Kenney: People afflicted with substance use disorder, they're not typical. That can be anybody, and there's almost nobody that hasn't been affected, either someone they know or themselves...
Siler: Absolutely. You know, until you educate yourself on addiction, I don't think anyone fully understands what it does to a person, what it does to a person's family, even friends that's close to them. Everyone's suffering when someone you love is suffering from addiction.
Kenney: Your services are expanding with the opening of a new branch in Dayton. Is that something you're seeing in all of the states that you're operating in?
Siler: Absolutely. Brightview really does their education on the area that they plan to put a Brightview, and that is usually the areas that do not have locations close for, you know, options for people to go for treatment. So, they really educate and and research the area that they plan to set up a Brightview just to see where it's the most needed.
Kenney: What would you like our listeners to know about the situation? Anything that we haven't talked about.
Siler: Just that there is hope. The hardest part is realizing that you want help and need help, and just knowing that there is a place that you can come to and not be judged for your addiction.
Kenney: And if people are interested in your organization, what is the best way to do that research or get a hold of you?
Siler: They can go to our Brightview website and that is www.brightviewhealth.com. And then also they can call our call center with questions. And that number again is 1-833-510-HELP.
Kenney: Keitha Siler is community outreach manager for Brightview Montgomery County. Keitha, thank you so much for your time today.
Siler: No problem. Thank you so much for having me.
