FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) – A detox service at a northern New Mexico recovery facility serving the Four Corners region and the Navajo Nation could come to an end following cuts in funding.
The operators of the Four Winds Recovery Center in Farmington said it may have to stop offering a protective custody detox service to make up for a 54 percent drop in funding from San Juan County, the Daily Times reported.
Center director Jolene Schneider said Thursday that ending the detox program seems inevitable.
“It does appear more and more clear that Four Winds is really gonna get out of the detox business. It's really just a matter of time,” Schneider said.
Her comments came after San Juan County commissioners last month approved cuts to the county's health care assistance program. The program partially pays for providers' uninsured medical claims.
It is unlikely the detox service can make it through the fiscal year, which ends on June 30, Schneider said. Aside from the operational costs, funding is needed to pay the rising price of food, utilities and workers' compensation.
The center holds 39 beds in its detox service unit. In the last fiscal year, the unit saw more than 4,000 admissions. People can be admitted 24 hours a day by individuals, medical staff or law enforcement.
The funding crunch should not affect the facility's other programs, Schneider said, including short-term residential treatment, 12 weeks of outpatient treatment or six months of outpatient after care services.
Besides county assistance, the center relies on funding from the state and the cities of Farmington, Aztec and Bloomfield. Officials are looking into the Navajo Nation as an additional funding source.
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Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com