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Virtue Center offers no-cost treatment clinic for substance abuse

Norman Transcript - 4/25/2021

Apr. 25—A social services organization in Norman is teaming up with Oklahoma State University to provide free addiction and substance abuse-related treatment to those in need.

The Virtue Center, a non-profit outpatient treatment center for mental health, gambling and substance abuse challenges, collaborated with the National Center for Wellness and Recovery at OSU to offer free services — with patients only paying the cost of medication — from 1 to 4 p.m. every Thursday.

Teresa Collado, executive director of The Virtue Center, said there are medications that can reduce the risk of overdose, manage cravings and aid in long-term recovery in certain substance abuse disorders.

"Some medications may also help individuals struggling with problem gambling," Collado said in a news release.

John Gilley, associate director of services at The Virtue Center, said the National Center for Wellness and Recovery at the OSU Center for Health Sciences has many different substance abuse treatment centers that provide virtual medication-assisted treatment clinics, and The Virtue Center's is just one of them.

"We have had five or six people in here this month, and we have three new client appointment slots a week," Gilley said. "I believe the clinic will support about 40 people, and if we get to the point that the program is big enough that we need more time, then they have more time to give us."

Gilley said he isn't sure that people are aware that this program is available at no cost and provides these services.

The medication-assisted treatment service is integrated with a therapist, unlike conventional general practitioner referrals to specialists, which involve minimal communication between the two.

"Anytime the therapist feels that they need to talk to the doctor about the case or the doctor feels they need to talk to the family about the case, we're in contact," Gilley said.

When a client comes into the Virtue Center for treatment, they will receive a urine drug screen and a pregnancy test, if applicable.

"They're given these tests because we really need to see what's in their system and whether or not they're pregnant before we prescribe them medication," Gilley said.

Due to the preliminary testing process, Gilley said the visits for treatment are in-person, but the appointment with the doctor is done virtually in a room with a camera, screen and microphone.

"Also we have to take vitals, weight and their blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation," Gilley said.

While the medically-assisted treatment clinic services are provided at no cost, Gilley said anyone who wishes to seek services has to become enrolled as a client at the Virtue Center and be willing to have an assessment done.

"Those services for anyone making less than 200% of the federal poverty level right now are $3 per service, and the initial services are cost free, but we don't turn anyone away because they don't have the $3," GIlley said.

Dr. Kelly Dunn, executive director of Clinical Treatment at the National Center for Wellness and Recovery, said in the release that the opportunity to use virtual medicine through partnerships with facilities like The Virtue Center allows more Oklahomans to receive addiction medicine care.

To begin services or learn more about the treatment clinic, contact The Virtue Center at 321-0022 or visit the group's website, thevirtuecenter.org.

Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at Jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.

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