Health care providers from about half a dozen community health organizations were present for Ideal Option’s grand re-opening resource fair on Wednesday. The medication-assisted treatment facility first opened in Kenai six years ago. Its new location is in a strip mall in Kenai, just a few doors down from its former home on Frontage Road.
The facility has experienced an increase in patients over the last few years, and staff saw the need to expand to a larger location. The new space is equipped with three patient rooms, unlike the former location which only had one.
“We’re here to fully support those in and out of recovery," said Melanie Luna, Ideal Option’s Alaska outreach coordinator. "There is no judgment when they come into our doors, and so even if its six months down the line from the last time they got treatment, they can still come back and say ‘Hey, I think I’m ready again.’”
Ideal Option is based in Washington state, with branches across Alaska, from Ketchikan to Fairbanks. The Kenai branch partners with several local organizations to better assist those recovering from addiction. The Alaska Department of Health was one partner agency that was present at the resource fair.
Chris Kilby, a public health nurse practitioner with the state, says recovery resources are limited on the Kenai Peninsula and it's good to see an expansion of services.
“I think with all of our people in recovery, it takes multiple helping hands to recover and to reach the goals you have for yourself,” she said.
Kilby says people who are struggling with addiction or are in recovery are more at risk for other health concerns. She says the department of health acts as a safety net, and that a multi-agency approach can lead to improved health outcomes.
“Without services like that, they run the risk of undetected health issues that could shorten their lives or cause other illnesses,” Kilby said.
Frontier Community Services is another partner agency of Ideal Option. The Soldotna-based organization offers birth to end of life care.
Isaac Cryer, the organization’s behavior wellness assistant director, says Ideal Option’s new space pairs well with Frontier Community Service’s recently onboarded reentry program for people who have been incarcerated.
“The more you know about other providers, the more wraparound services that client’s going to have,” Cryer said.
“We just maintain a really close connection with them because we share so many of the same population," Luna said. "Really just trying to create an easier way for patients to access the care they need, and make it more of a wraparound. As we know, it is a community effort.”
Health care providers believe the new space will better facilitate a multi-agency approach to addiction treatment. They say this can lead to a more successful recovery long term.
