To boost North Carolina’s response to the opioid crisis, R.J. Blackley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Butner recently became certified as an opioid treatment program for people with opioid use disorder.
"Expanding treatment options at R.J. Blackley and across North Carolina is another tool to help turn the tide on the opioid epidemic," said Kody H. Kinsley, Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. "Our state has an estimated 450,000 people living with this disease — this treatment works — and expanding access with more providers and more insurance coverage is critical."
Misuse of prescription painkillers and opioids is a serious issue in North Carolina. Five people die from opioid overdoses every day across the state. DHHS continues to leverage resources to better meet the needs of those with substance use disorder.
Before the certification, an individual would have to begin opioid treatment at a hospital or in another setting in the community. Being certified as an inpatient Opioid Treatment Program by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s Division of Pharmacologic Therapies, R.J. Blackley joins the other two North Carolina state-operated Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Centers — Julian F. Keith, in Black Mountain, and Walter B. Jones, in Greenville — in offering evidence-based initiation/induction, maintenance, detoxification and treatment for people with opioid use disorders. Certified opioid treatment programs have been available at the Greenville center since 2012 and the Black Mountain center since 2018.
"We are are proud to be able to add an opioid treatment program to our existing inpatient treatment services at R.J. Blackley. We will be able to better serve our community in the central region of the state," said Jeannie Moore, CEO of R.J. Blackley ADATC. "Our facility is well positioned to meet the needs of citizens who are struggling with opioid addiction within our community."
Founded in 1950, R.J. Blackley is accredited as an Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and certified as an inpatient psychiatric hospital by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and it is operated by DHHS. Services provided include substance use disorder treatment and education, mental health treatment and education, medical detoxification, psychiatric stabilization, around-the-clock medical care, recreational therapy, social work, perinatal services, discharge planning and family services. For more information about the state-operated health care facilities, visit: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dsohf/facilities.
R.J. Blackley serves residents of Alamance, Anson, Caswell, Chatham, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Stokes, Vance, Wake and Warren counties. It provides services in coordination, primarily with three Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs): Alliance Health, Cardinal Innovations and Sandhills.
Admission to R.J. Blackley is available to any adult, regardless of financial resources or insurance status. Individuals pay on a sliding scale according to their income. North Carolina law provides for two types of admission procedures, voluntary and involuntary. Those in need can get help by contacting their LME/MCO for assistance with treatment or recovery. To find out which LME/MCO serves your county, visit ncdhhs.gov.
Addressing the unique needs of individuals impacted by the opioid crisis is one of DHHS’ primary goals, and this additional program helps continue the work toward the goals outlined in the NC Opioid Action Plan. The targeted plan outlines key strategies, such as coordination of infrastructure, reduction of oversupply of prescription opioids and increasing community awareness, to respond to the state’s opioid crisis.