PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (April 1, 2011) — The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has approved a contract for the construction of a new $3.7-million, 12,000-square-feet substance abuse treatment facility to be located on Stafford Road in Prince Frederick.
Construction on the new facility is expected to begin in late April 2011 with completion no later than January 2012. The facility will provide addictions services to approximately 1,100 outpatient clients each year.
The $2.17-million construction contract was awarded to Rainbow Construction of Waldorf. Additional funding for the facility will come through the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which will provide 31 percent of the total project cost, or up to $1.15 million.
The unanimous approval of the construction contract during the March 22 BOCC meeting capped an effort begun in 1996 to consolidate county substance abuse services. A community advisory board at the time recommended the county streamline services by combining separate treatment programs for alcohol and drug abuse. Treatment services have since been available at four sites across the county: at the Calvert County Health Department in Prince Frederick and at sites in Barstow, Chesapeake Beach and Lusby. Up to 18 staff members at the health department and Barstow locations will move to the new facility when it is completed.
“This is a long time coming,” said BOCC President Susan Shaw. “A lot of pieces had to fall into place to make this happen. It also comes at a time when we’ve seen an alarming increase in the abuse of prescription drugs. The new facility will allow a much smoother delivery of services and will help make services available to more citizens. It will enable us provide a continuum of care that is vital in combating the problem of drug and alcohol abuse.”
Calvert Substance Abuse Services, founded in 1996, runs the county outpatient treatment program through the Calvert County Health Department with staff made up of both county and state employees. Its target population for services is anyone over the age of 12 who is experiencing problems related to substance abuse or substance dependence. The agency offers outpatient substance abuse treatment to the general public and to residents of the Calvert County Detention Center.
To learn more about Calvert County substance abuse programs, visit
www.calverthealth.org/personalhealth/substanceabuse/services.htm.
Source: Calvert County Government