Terra Treatment Center proposes staff additions to expand outpatient treatment, say they can serve 100 more clients annually

Terra Treatment Center asked the Johnson County Opioid Advisory Board on July 23 to fund staffing increases that the center said would expand treatment capacity and improve continuity of care for adults with substance use disorder.

"This proposed program capacity expansion leverages targeted staffing increases to enhance the scope and effectiveness of outpatient substance use disorder care for adults in Johnson County," said Caitlin Lane, director of business development at Terra Treatment Center, which she described as a Joint Commission‑accredited and state‑certified provider. Lane spoke from lived experience and noted Terra’s history of treating people referred by the courts.

Terra asked for funds to add one full‑time case manager (converted from part‑time) and two part‑time peer recovery coaches. The center said those staff would support an estimated 100 additional clients annually through outpatient services, partial‑hospitalization and intensive outpatient tracks. Terra reported a current annual outpatient caseload of about 130 adults and said 50 percent of its clients experience homelessness while roughly 30 percent are justice‑involved. The center said new staff will provide care coordination, housing and legal referrals, peer support, Medicaid‑eligible services and outcome tracking.

Lane described peer recovery coaches as having measurable impacts on engagement and hospitalization rates and said Terra uses a Track 9 informatics system to monitor client outcomes weekly and for up to a year after discharge. Terra said it will credential staff to bill Medicaid and incorporate salaries into its operating budget beginning in year two, with ongoing grant pursuit and performance‑driven funding to support sustainability.

Board members asked about jurisdictional eligibility and were told Terra’s outpatient services are for Johnson County residents and its intensive outpatient program meets locally in Franklin. No formal vote was taken; the advisory board will consolidate funding requests and present recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on July 28.

Lane said the expansion targets people with opioid use disorder, people who inject drugs, those with chronic relapse histories, co‑occurring mental health conditions and justice‑involved individuals. Terra expects the additional case management and peer supports to reduce acute care utilization and improve continuity of outpatient care.