PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine)-- Anew recovery center is opening in Portland during a time when the opioid crisis is ravaging Maine and the pool of resources for treatment is shrinking.
The chief operating officer of Pine Tree Recovery Center calls this 22 bed facility the first step in a person's journey toward sobriety, and that starts with a phone call.
Pine Tree will be a fully staffed medical facility where those suffering from addiction will be given the treatment needed to detox from alcohol and drugs. A patient will stay there for about three to eight days depending on their level of need before they're directed to further treatment and care outside of the center.
The recovery community in the greater Portland area is still dealing with the fallout after the closing of Serenity House, a long-term facility where patients stayed for several months working towards sobriety.
Chief Operating Officer John Buro recognizes the need in Southern Maine, he has also been in recovery for more than a decade. He said his experience opening extended care, treatment, and detox facilities in both New England and Florida is what will help Pine Tree survive.
The facility relies on payments from patient insurance, but the Buro said a percentage of the facility’s beds will be offered towards scholarships for those with no financial help. The Pine Tree Recovery Center will officially open its doors Wednesday at noon.