New inpatient treatment and detox center opens in Muncie with county backing

Indiana Treatment Centers and managing partner Ascent Recovery Services celebrated the opening of a new inpatient treatment and detox facility in Muncie at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by county officials, developers and recovery advocates.

Charmaine Lee, president of Ascent Recovery Services, told attendees the organization is managing partner for the facility and thanked local government and construction partners. "This is about saving lives and transforming lives," Lee said, describing the center as part of the company's expansion in Indiana; Ascent operates facilities in Columbus and Mishawaka.

The new facility, owned by Nelson Development and operated by Indiana Treatment Centers, was described by organizers as filling a longstanding local need for inpatient detox and treatment. Brian Shaw of Nelson Development thanked Delaware County commissioners and local contractors for support during the development and introduced county officials who spoke about the center's role in the community.

Jeff Hansard, identified in remarks as Delaware County's chief probation officer, said the project grew out of an 18-month build and broader efforts across the criminal justice and nonprofit sectors to expand recovery services. He cited the county's IRAC program, in place since about 2021, as part of the local recovery ecosystem and said the facility will improve access to care for residents who previously faced barriers to inpatient treatment.

John Worsham, regional executive director for Indiana Treatment Centers, said he is in long-term recovery and introduced the local leadership and clinical staff who will run the center, naming Drew (program director), Misty (director of nursing) and Nisha (business development director). Worsham said staff training and the leadership team's experience give him confidence in the quality of care the center will provide. In a lighter moment he repeated a staff slogan: "We're not going to suck," drawing laughter from the audience.

A speaker identified as a Delaware County commissioner said the county did not take on debt to build the facility and described a lease arrangement that organizers said will generate positive cash flow, cover ditch assessments and insurance, and seed a sinking fund for future capital needs. The commissioner encouraged continued community support and signaled interest in future expansion.

Organizers invited attendees to proceed to the front of the building for the ribbon cutting, and participants marked the opening with applause and a countdown.

The ceremony highlighted the project's public-private partnership model: a private owner (Nelson Development), a treatment operator (Indiana Treatment Centers) and a recovery services managing partner (Ascent Recovery Services), with county support acknowledged throughout. No formal board votes or policy actions were recorded at the event; speakers limited remarks to the center's mission, staffing, construction partners and financing structure.

Next steps include the facility's planned opening to admit patients (organizers said it would open in about a week) and follow-up operational startup tasks led by the Indiana Treatment Centers team. Attendees were invited to a ribbon-cutting immediately after the remarks.