Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment in Bismarck Gets Expansion

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment in Bismarck Gets Expansion

A drug and alcohol abuse treatment in Bismarck, North Dakota will expand their services to help Burleigh County residents that struggle with substance use disorders.

Heartview Foundation is one of the longest running substance abuse treatment centers in the North Dakota but it has struggled to keep up with the growing need for addiction treatment.

Now, Heartview has announced that their upcoming drug and alcohol abuse treatment center will add 16 more beds. They also will supplement 15 efficiency apartments at the site of a former emergency men’s shelter, which will be open by the end of the year. These beds and apartments will be for men only.

Heartview offers services such as evaluation, treatment, education and a specialized opioid treatment program.

Other services include drug and alcohol education classes, DUI seminars, education for professionals, Heartview Parent Network, the Helping Everyone Achieve Recovery Today (H.E.A.R.T.) Program and withdrawal management.

The H.E.A.R.T. program specifically focuses on helping patients recover from their addiction through family support. It is a two level program of education and support that is boosted by an online social network.

Their opioid treatment program offers medication-assisted treatment (MAT) that is entirely compiled into a holistic treatment program. The MAT is fully supervised by a licensed medical professional and patients learn how to cope with high-risk scenarios and how to fully restore their physical health.

The drug and alcohol abuse treatment facility features addiction therapists, social workers, nurses, a psychologist and a medical doctor to help patients cope with their substance use disorders. They have two addiction treatment centers in North Dakota, including Bismarck.

There are nine substance abuse treatment centers in Bismarck, according to the 2017 National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Facilities.

In 2016, there were 77 people who died from drug-related overdoses in North Dakota, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A report from the North Dakota Behavioral Health System Study highlighted that alcohol was a significant issue in the state as 34 percent of adults in 2016 reported binge drinking in the past month, above the national average of 27 percent. The state ranked second-highest in percentage of adults who reported binge drinking or excessive drinking in 2016. It was indicated that 47 percent of motor-vehicle crash fatalities involved alcohol in some form, higher than the 30 percent national average.  

These findings indicated that while opioids and other drugs are still a problem, alcohol has been the primary issue in the state.  

The men’s shelter was purchased by Heartview for $1 million and the new drug and alcohol abuse treatment center will need about $1.1 million in renovations with the estimated timeline being between a year to 18 months.

Bismarck is also set to receive more than $400,000 in community development block grants. Bismarck residents will have some choices in how the money gets spent and a public hearing on the proposal will be held on June 28.

The substance abuse treatment center is expected to open by the end of the year.