Recovery Epicenter Foundation opens 'The Outfield' peer respite in Pasco County

The Recovery Epicenter Foundation announced on March 25 that it will hold a public grand opening April 4 for The Outfield, a peer respite recovery center in Pasco County that the foundation said has already served people in crisis.

"The Outfield builds on the success of the Catches Mitt, which launched in Clearwater in March of 2023," Daryl Henderson, advocacy director for the Recovery Epicenter Foundation, told the board. Henderson said the Clearwater program has provided a "safe, cost free space for more than a thousand individuals" and that more than 80% of participants have been linked to long-term recovery programs and housing solutions.

Henderson said The Outfield opened quietly on Feb. 17 with Pasco County opioid abatement board funding and a grant from BayCare and has since provided "a safe landing for 30 people in crisis." He invited commissioners and the public to a grand-opening event on April 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the facility on Elsa Street in Newport Beach.

Why it matters: Peer respite centers provide short-term nonmedical support and a supervised, recovery-oriented environment that staff say can reduce emergency-room visits, prevent homelessness and connect people to longer-term services.

What happened next: Henderson told commissioners the foundation is exploring opening similar centers in Hernando, Manatee and Hillsborough counties. The commission did not take formal action on the announcement; Henderson thanked Pasco County for support.

Ending: The foundation plans a public tour and staff introductions at the April 4 event.