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Special Health Resources outlines opioid withdrawal recovery program to Longview council
Summary
Special Health Resources representatives presented the STRO program (supporting treatment and recovery from opioid withdrawal) to the council, saying the federally qualified health center provides same-day care, testing, counseling, case management, recovery coaches and a licensed chemical dependency counselor for long-term recovery support.
Special Health Resources representatives briefed the Longview City Council on March 27 about STRO, a program the organization describes as "supporting treatment and recovery from opioid withdrawal," which offers testing, counseling, case management, recovery coaches and clinical services.
Monte Crooks, representing Special Health Resources, said the organization operates clinics in Gregg County, including the Longview Care Clinic and the Women and Child Health Center, and provides mobile units serving rural areas. "We offer same day walk ins with our primary care, behavioral health, women's health, pediatrics, dentistry, infectious disease, and multiple other programs to help benefit the community," Crooks said.
John Eubanks, introduced as a recovery support peer specialist, described individualized peer work in the program: "What I do is I work with individuals one on one, find out what their needs are, what their goals are... Over the last year and a half, we've been operating, and it's been amazing watching people reach long term sobriety," Eubanks said.
Services described by Special Health Resources included free testing for HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis; substance-use treatment and both individual and group therapy; behavioral health tailored to addiction recovery; one-on-one case management and resource navigation (housing, employment support, insurance assistance); recovery coaches; and access to a licensed chemical dependency counselor (LCDC). Officials said some services are provided at no cost and aimed at stabilizing clients and connecting them with longer-term care.
Why it matters: The presentation was part of the Greater Longview Optimal (GLO) wellness partnership and highlighted local access to addiction and recovery resources. Council members thanked the presenters; several audience members commented during citizen remarks on the importance of local health services and partner organizations.
Next steps: The presentation was informational. Representatives indicated ongoing service delivery in the region; no formal council action was taken at the meeting on funding or contracts related to this presentation.
