LEE COUNTY – The Lee County Board of Supervisors has approved another $50,000 in county opioid settlement funding to go towards the efforts of the Talbot Sober Living House in Keokuk.
Talbot House director Devon Dade gave an update to the board at its regular meeting Tuesday saying the group is re-evaluating what it means to graduate from the Talbot program, which is focused on men suffering from substance abuse, including alcohol and potentially co-occurring drug abuse.
The contribution from the county means the residential sober-living facility has to make a focus on those dealing with opioid addictions and other co-occurring substance abuse disorders.
“This year has been another meaningful year for the Talbot House, our sober living home for men. We continue our mission of supporting those who are struggling with addictions and alcoholism,” Dade said.
“One of the big things that has happened this year is in enrollment and graduation. The Talbot holds up to 12 men and we usually stay at 11. We enrolled 25 men in the program this year and that’s pretty consistent. Out of those 25, seven graduated. Those men chose to stay committed and focused and determined,” Dade said.
The program began as a 90-day program and, every year, they’ve added 30 days to the program. Dade said top-notch programs are year-long programs involving sobriety and learning about themselves and things they need to change.
“We are down this year with seven men graduating, but we’re not discouraged because one of the big things we did this year is taken in those with opioid addiction. And I’ll say this, it’s a different beast to tackle,” Dade said.
He said this year the organization took a step back to a 120-day program from 180 days. Dade said that’s a big ask because not many men will commit to that process. Being 120 allows a little easier decision on the front end.
“I will say that those who complete a 120-day program, it doesn’t ensure they’re going to have long-term recovery. That’s what this is all about. A guy who’s successful will stay with us a year. That’s his own decision. With the seven we graduated, five of those did stay for a full year,” he said.
He also said the Talbot House now requires gainful employment as a qualification for graduation from the program. That requirement, Dade said, tackles the huge issue of loyalty to family, friends, communities, and things they are involved in.
“We said let’s go back to the drawing board. Let’s not set a low bar of just employment. If they go through five different jobs in a year, there’s a big risk of relapse. So, we said to graduate you have to at least be on your job for 60 days."
He said bringing those suffering with opioid addiction into the fold meant Talbot House had to expand knowledge and approach and patience.
“We needed to have awareness of ‘what does that actually look like’. It looks a lot different from the guy I can spot who’s on alcohol or on meth, or even a person high on a pill or their meds.”
Dade said Talbot isn’t a rehab or a halfway house.
“When they come in, we do monitor meds, but we don’t have a nurse on staff. So, coming out two to three weeks, I’ve gotta get knowledgeable and build a rapport with that guy to understand his med situation. How they are being used and how they will show up on a drug test.”
The county’s contribution from opioid settlement funds to the Talbot House is now $105,000 over the past three years.
The funds come from settlements the county has been part of through class action suits against manufacturers, distributors, and marketers of opioid medications.
The county currently has approximately $560,000 after Tuesday’s approval of the second-year funding. The Board had previously approved a three-year program with the Talbot House at $50,000 per year on the contingency of an annual report provided to the county.
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