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Synergy Recovery staff urge Wilkes County not to withdraw lease, warn of service loss
Summary
At the March 18 meeting Synergy Recovery staff and contract providers urged the Board of Commissioners to reconsider withdrawing the facility’s lease effective June 30, arguing the clinic provides critical detox and crisis stabilization services to Wilkes County residents and employs local staff.
Synergy Recovery staff and contract providers asked the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners on March 18 to rethink a planned lease withdrawal that would close the county‑owned facility on June 30.
Jessica Steelman, a nurse practitioner who said she has worked as a contract provider for Synergy, told commissioners the facility provides detox and crisis stabilization services to 600–700 individuals annually, serves clients from 37 counties and that roughly 25% of admissions are Wilkes County residents. She said Synergy employs 31 people and six contract providers, including three nurse practitioners and a licensed psychiatrist. "The work we do at Synergy is saving lives," Steelman said, and she asked the board to consider the impact on jobs and access to care if the lease is withdrawn.
Steelman described the facility's recent compliance record: an unreturned DHHS survey in November 2024 with "no deficiencies," a 2025 kitchen inspection score of 99% and a building inspection score of 99.5%. She said Synergy obtained COA accreditation and IVC (involuntary commitment) designation from DHHS in April 2024 and has established referral partnerships with hospitals, law enforcement and community organizations. She noted Atrium Health's internal policies currently limit local referrals for involuntary patients, but added that Synergy receives IVC referrals from other counties and is negotiating a memorandum of understanding to address local referral restrictions.
Angel Sidden, a six‑month Synergy employee, said she found stable, meaningful work at the facility and described personal and client experiences that, she said, demonstrate Synergy's value to the community. Both speakers asked the board to consider the consequences of a lease withdrawal for patients, employees and local partner organizations.
Board members thanked the speakers for their comments; no formal action on the lease was recorded in the minutes for the March 18 meeting.
