Bowen Recovery Center Marks 5 Years Of Opioid Treatment
Bowen Recovery Center opened its doors to the public 5 years ago in response to a request from the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, in the hopes of turning back a tsunami of opioid-related overdoses. The Center specializes in Medication Assisted Treatment for people with moderate or severe Opioid Use Disorder.
“The state asked us, and we stepped up to the plate,” said Bowen Center president/CEO Dr. Rob Ryan. “We said ‘we know there is a crisis, how can we help?’”
“It has been a pleasure to work with Bowen Center,” said Tony Toomer, Opioid Treatment Program Manager with Family & Social Services Administration – Indiana Division of Mental Health & Addiction. He said he knew that Bowen Center was taking the task seriously when they sent a busload of staff members to visit at an existing clinic.
“As the people got off the bus, every last one of them had paper and a clipboard, ready to take information down,” Toomer said. “That’s just how dedicated they were to opening an Opioid Treatment Program.”
Five years later, the need for treatment continues. In 2021 Indiana recorded 2,205 opioid-related deaths.
Since opening in 2018, Bowen Recovery Center has served 1,853 individual patients, averaging 371 per year. Most of those patients are between the ages of 31 to 50 and are equally divided between male and female. Every year more than 100 patients successfully complete their treatment. The length of treatment is different for every patient ranging from months to years. “Our patients want to get well,” says Dr. Ryan.
The Center is open 365 days a year providing methadone to treat patients’ physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings. They receive on-site addiction recovery counseling services and medical care. Patients also get help with insurance navigation, food, housing, and other necessities required for proper recovery.
“It’s very difficult for somebody to find recovery and sobriety if we’re not addressing the underlying issues,” said Bowen Center director of Addiction Recovery, Wayne Peterson-Stephan. “We know that approximately 40% of people with a substance use disorder also have other mental health concerns so we help them address those issues, because otherwise, it’s a cycle that never really ends,” Mr. Peterson-Stephan said.
Often prescribed to treat pain, opioids are highly addictive. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and make it very difficult to stop. Bowen Recovery Center provides medical and emotional care to help patients on the road to recovery.
“When our patients get here, they are no longer experiencing joy. They continue to use opioids, so they don’t feel physically and emotionally sick,” said Bowen Recovery Center Medical Director Dr. Carolyn Warner-Greer. “Our first goal with everyone is that we don’t want them to die. This is a process just like with any chronic illness. It’s a process to get better,” said Dr. Warner-Greer.
Bowen Center started as a non-profit Community Mental Health Center in northern Indiana in 1961. The center now serves Hoosiers from Indianapolis north treating patients with emotional health care, primary health care, and addiction recovery services. Bowen Center strives to strengthen its communities and improve the health and well-being of those it is privileged to serve. For more information visit BowenCenter.org.
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