Laurel Treatment Center, A Place for Recovery, Opens

By Molly Priddy, Billings Gazette, Mont.

Jun. 12–Laurel residents who need drug and alcohol treatment have a new option.

A Place for Recovery Inc., which opened two weeks ago, offers intensive chemical dependency outpatient treatment. Licensed addiction counselors Kristi Albers and Amber Murphy hope to curb noncompliance with court-ordered drug or alcohol treatment.

“There’s a lot we can offer a small community,” Murphy said. “We’re the only treatment center that provides intensive outpatient care between Billings and Big Timber.”

One problem for people who live outside of Billings is the distance to treatment. Albers said people skip the treatment or drive on suspended licenses to get there. The cost of gas is another factor with court-mandated treatment.

“We need addiction counseling very, very badly here,” said Laurel City Judge Jean Kerr.

Kerr described a recent case she presided over, in which a young man was convicted of driving under the influence. He was ordered to the Assessment Course and Treatment program, which requires a minimum of six trips to Billings, a $200 fee and finding a way to legally get there.

“We have big-city problems in the town,” Kerr said. “We still have big drug problems — there’s a lot of drug trade and addiction here, not just alcohol.”

ACT is state-mandated for anyone convicted of a driving incident involving drugs or alcohol.

There is no access to the ACT program in Laurel, but Murphy said A Place for Recovery is applying to be a state-approved program that could offer ACT.

County Commissioner Bill Kennedy said money for the ACT program comes from DUI offenders as part of their criminal sentencing. Treatment facilities in Billings like Rimrock Foundation receive funding from the Yellowstone County alcohol tax percentage, but that money helps fund inpatient care.

Murphy said A Place for Recovery would benefit from being a state-approved program because it could apply for federal funding through grants. The center is privately funded so far.

Kerr said another reason the treatment center can help Laurel residents is through a contract to provide victims’ counselors. The crime victim’s surcharge, $50 required of the defendant, is mandated by the Legislature to pay for a victim’s counselor.

Kerr asserts that the surcharges from Laurel go to Billings, and the victims in Laurel don’t get the services, like help filling out a restraining order or someone to sit with them in court.

In addition to intensive outpatient treatment, A Place for Recovery will provide drug tests for local businesses that want to test employees. There will also be brown-bag lunches offered during the day so people can learn about addiction.

So many programs could overwhelm the two counselors at the center, but they welcome the challenge.

“We can expand if we need to,” Murphy said, adding that Montana State University Billings has offered to send interns and that licensed counselors have offered their services.

Albers said they plan to offer mental-health counseling by autumn.

“We’re hoping to do a whole bunch of positive things out here,” Albers said.

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