By Michael V. Hannigan/HCNow
Monday night, the Athens City Council once again took no action on a request from Dr. Vernon Johnson to rezone 115 Murchison Street to allow a psychiatric clinic for patients with drug and alcohol addictions. Alcohol addiction is one of the most common forms of addiction in the United States. With the growing concern, those who find that they suffer from the addiction may try to seek support from centers similar to this Pacific Ridge alcohol treatment center as a way to fight their addiction.
The agenda item concerning the issue — a final reading — died for a lack of a motion and without any council member speaking, essentially killing the request.
The council also took no action in December 2015 on first reading of the rezoning request. Council members, city residents, and school district officials all expressed concern because the location is directly across from Athens High School.
Monday, attorney Dianne Jones McVay addressed the council on behalf of Dr. Johnson, saying the clinic would be for patients seeking therapy for depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol issues. There are some reputable drug treatment and rehab centers like Recovery Delivered in New York, so there are numerous examples how to establish such an institution.
– Related post: North Miami Drug Treatment.
“They do that for the purposes of helping people get set free and delivered from their addiction,” she said. “This is for your community.”
“(Dr. Johnson) has come to this community, to help this community that has a huge methamphetamine issue,” she said. “He is only here to be a doctor, to help people.”
Athens ISD Superintendent Blake Stiles also addressed the council, saying, “Similarly to the facilities that you can find on sites like ODYSSEYSOBERLIVING.COM, I do agree with (McVay’s) presentation that this community needs drug rehab, alcohol rehab. When it comes to people dealing with addiction, they should be able to have choices offered to them that could help them get their life back on track. I just think it is a really, really bad idea to have it directly across the street from the front entrance to the high school.”
Putting aside safety concerns, Stiles said, there was the possibility of students talking about who they see walking into the proposed clinic, which could cause problems on campus.
“Yes, bring in drug rehab facilities,” Stile said, “just not directly across the street from the high school, not in a school zone for that matter.”
Athens resident Ed McCain also address the council.
“My personal life has been touched by friends and family members who suffered with addiction,” he said. “I am sensitive to the issue and respect anyone who attempts to assist others through troubled times. However, I am not in support of the location of this facility. Our community stepped up to the plate last year and committed $60 million to the future of AISD. I know part of the hope was that new facilities would attract young families to Athens. I am not of the opinion that new or existing parents will like this treatment center located so close to our high school.”
I caught up with McVay outside the City Council chambers afterward and she said it would be up to Dr. Johnson to decide what comes next.
Unfortunately, with so many addicts there is a need for medical centers that help people get over their addiction. Visit this page to learn more on modern center for addiction medicine. Luckily there are more and more inpatient drug rehab centers appearing across the country every day who are trying their hardest to help those who have found themself suffering from addiction.
Sure, just throw them in prison for double the cost.
Way to go, republicrats.
Drugs, alcohol, anxiety, depression or other mental illnesses have no geographical, age, financial, religious or racial boundaries. Drugs are sold at our high school and in our high school as they are in other schools. Dr. Vernon Johnson is an outstanding Christian physician and has the heart and desire to raise awareness in our community of these issues and help individuals. It seems very discriminatory to me that bars, alcohol, financial companies that in reality “steal” from disadvantaged community members may locate about anywhere they please in the community but a very well educated Physician with the heart, love and desire to help others is being ignored. Very sad.
Instead of just ignoring this, why doesn’t the city council and city leaders work with Dr. Johnson and help him find a more suitable location?
Yes. It’s a bad location – for the recovering addicts. That high school is littered with meth – among staff and students alike.
I work in this field and I promise you, every high school has a drug problem going on. Athens is NOT the exception and I know this first hand. Stop burying you head in the sand city council and allow these people help. There is no better location. Every high school should be so lucky to have such support for their community!!! I know Dr Johnson personally and you are lucky to have such a good man offering help.
I believe the point is that the facility does not need to be located right across the street from the entrance to the high school. I have not seen anyone disagreeing with the need for Dr. Johnson and his services to our community.
I hope the people that deny Te location are simply put… Idiots.
A lot of people who haven’t dealt with addiction themselves and some who have even dealt with it with family don’t always realize or refuse to realize that the more you prevent kid in school of any age from dealing with alcohol or drug addiction or with helping them sooner with mental health you are actually preventing a hell of a lot of stuff with them in adulthood. Jail, re-occurring admittance to mental hospitals and rehabs. And death. God people are seriously stupid. Would rather worry about what people will think rather than what people actually need!!!
I think allowing permission to Psychiatric clinic for drug and alcohol abuse patients is a really important for the benefit of needy peoples. They should also think about the people who really need this.