Longleaf Recovery, a substance use recovery center, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on the morning of May 14. The new facility, which is located near Toyota Field, will provide outpatient treatment for up to 60 clients at a time.

Madison Mayor Paul Finley, Longleaf Chief Executive Officer Colin Harris, and Longleaf Chief Operations Officer Ian Henyon spoke at the event.

Mayor Finley explained that quality of life is at the top of the pyramid as he considers priorities for the city of Madison. The safety and health of local residents are part of maintaining a high quality of life, and Longleaf will contribute to both of those aims.

Mayor Finley stated that each person gathered at the ribbon-cutting has known someone who was in need of a facility like Longleaf.

Three distinct levels of care will be offered at the Huntsville/Madison Longleaf Recovery Center.

The most time-intensive level of care will be a partial-hospitalization program (PHP) that clients will attend from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Five-day and three-day intensive outpatient programs (IOP) will also be available. These programs will run from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

An evening program will be held for clients who need a treatment plan that accommodates typical business hours. This program will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

In addition to these three specific programs, Longleaf will also provide medication management, treatment consultations, and family support groups.

John Giannetto, Chief Development Officer at Longleaf, told the Huntsville Business Journal that Longleaf will begin accepting patients almost immediately.

“We are waiting on the Alabama Department of Mental Health to come and do their walk-through, which is actually today at noon,” said Giannetto. “We are hoping to start accepting clients at the end of this week, beginning of next week. And we already have ten to fifteen clients waiting.”

Dr. Tim Carpenter, Medical Director at Longleaf, spoke about removing the stigma attached to seeking treatment for addiction.

“I would like to see addiction just seen as a chronic disease, a medical illness that you receive treatment for just as you would diabetes or heart problems,” Carpenter said in an interview with the Business Journal. “And we’d be successful here [in Huntsville] if we are able to seamlessly work with psychiatrists, therapists, and hospitals to get patients in to get their treatment and then get them back to their lives — even better than they were before.”

Carpenter is optimistic that Longleaf will expand accessibility to North Alabamians who are in need of addiction treatment services.

He explained that a representative from Longleaf has been visiting the offices of area therapists, psychologists, and family practice doctors to let them know about Longleaf’s upcoming expansion into the Huntsville/Madison area.

Carpenter hopes that these healthcare providers will be able to refer clients to Longleaf in a timely manner.

“With addiction patients, many times, you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot. When they’re ready, they’re ready. If you delay too long, they’re not ready anymore,” said Carpenter. “So it’s that immediate attention that’s needed.”

Visit Longleaf online at longleafrecovery.com/.