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Detox center reports low post-holiday census; Tompkins methadone clinic says it serves 226 clients and has seven openings
Summary
The committee heard updates from the detox facility and partner agencies. The detox center said its census was low after the holidays and has started additional programming; Tompkins Center described medication-assisted treatment capacity and intake steps.
LAREDO — Committee members heard reports on detox and medication-assisted-treatment services in Laredo, including a post-holiday dip in detox census and operational details from the Tompkins Center methadone clinic.
A representative of the city detox center said census fell over the holidays but had begun to pick up; the center reported it had 10 patients at the time of the meeting. Staff described new daily-routine coaching for clients (making beds, personal responsibility) and said harm-reduction presentations had been added to the schedule.
“Miss Adriana has been very crucial to our programming and our schedule for our patients because she has also started, giving harm reduction presentation to our patients,” the detox presenter said, describing outreach on Narcan access and community links for people in active use.
Roberto Garza, a counselor at the Tompkins Center, provided details about that clinic’s medication-assisted-treatment program. “We currently serve, 226, clients and we do have openings up to 7 slots right now,” Garza said. He described a two-part program: medication (methadone) and counseling, with orientation, assessment, treatment planning and progressive dosing until withdrawal symptoms are controlled. The clinic offers physicals, labs and EKGs on site and refers clients to other agencies for hepatitis C, HIV and other conditions.
Garza described clinic hours (Monday–Saturday with a midday closure) and the process to earn take-home doses: monthly urine tests and progressive stability-based allowances. The clinic provides bus tickets (five per month) and helps clients secure low-fare cards when needed.
Partner agencies discussed outreach ideas, including distributing information at food-bank lines and aligning with existing police and service outreach events to reach people waiting in line. SCAN staff said they are accepting referrals to mental-health and homeless services and that a newly reopened grant for homelessness (LP) is available.
Why it matters: Detox and medication-assisted-treatment capacity and outreach practices affect how quickly people can receive services after an overdose or when they seek help. The Tompkins Center’s openings and the detox center’s outreach schedule are operational details that affect referrals from the committee and partner agencies.
