White Oak Hill opening early 2022

BY LISA SMITH STAYTON
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — White Oak Hill is ready to help people with their addiction recovery journey and will open its doors in early 2022 in Martin County.

Addiction Recovery Center CEO/Founder Tim Robinson, a Martin County native, said his organization would open the 120-bed residential treatment center in the newly-renovated building that formerly housed Inez Middle School.

“There, unfortunately, is a big need for these residential services in Martin County,” Robinson said. “We also need the more than 50 jobs it will create.”

With an executive team that includes several members from Martin County, ARC has opened more than 30 facilities in over 20 other counties.

“This one will be special because it is in my hometown,” said Robinson. “And I want to personally reassure the community that we will be a good neighbor.”

ARC partnered with Pikeville property developer Greg May in the White Oak Hill project.

May’s group also collaborated with ARC in 2017 to develop addiction treatment centers in Pike and Knott counties.

“Three years ago, I lost a brother to drugs,” May said. “He overdosed and died. So, we really wanted to do something to help.”

May had planned to open a 16-bed facility in the former Millard School and get his brother in it for treatment. Unfortunately, his brother died before he could do that.

“God had another plan,” declared May. “I was introduced to Tim Robinson, and we sat down and talked about possibilities.”

At that time, the number of beds in a rehabilitation center was limited to 16. Robinson worked to get the federal law changed to allow 192 beds.

“Tim has developed one of the best programs in the United States,” stated May. “We’ve been really successful in Knott County and Millard, and we want to do the same thing here.

“We want to keep them a year,” he added. “Tim’s got an 80 percent success rate if they stay a year.”

The former Inez Middle School is now a state-of-the-art Addiction Recovery Center facility.

“This building just goes on teaching,” May said. “We’re going to try to make Martin County proud of this place.”

White Oak Hill is beautifully decorated and fully equipped with dental and optometry offices to take care of residents.

The center features a computer room, gymnasium, weight room, recreation center with TVs and pool tables, and a chapel with stained-glass windows displaying the words “Faith, Hope, Love, Healing.”

The chapel is named “Tim Robinson Sr. Chapel,” after Robinson’s late father.

“My dad, former Martin County PVA, loved our county and served the community and his neighbors for 30 years in the courthouse,” said Robinson. “I wanted to honor him with naming the chapel for him because he also was a man of faith who later in life spent his time studying God’s word and preaching the gospel.

“Service and faith are two values that he gave his family,” Robinson added.

The name for the center itself was inspired by Tim Sr.’s favorite song, “White Oak Hill” by Ralph Stanley.

May will hang a canvas displaying the “White Oak Hill” song lyrics.

“Everyone gets nervous when you start talking about drug rehabs,” May noted. “We had the same thing in Pikeville and never had the first problem, and the whole community is behind it. We know the needs here are the same as anywhere else.”

Other Martin County natives on Robinson’s executive team include Matt Brown, senior vice president; Eric Mills, senior vice president; Wayne Sartin, vice president; Todd Dials, vice president; Deanna Muncy, vice president; Scott Robinson, vice president; Vanessa Horn Keeton, senior director; and several more employees.

Appalachia Reach Out supports ARC

ARC also gets help and support from Appalachia Reach Out Executive Director Dwayne Mills, who works closely with the ARC outpatient center at the ARO campus on Old Route 3.

Mills served as pastor of Turkey Creek Nazarene Church from 2012-2019 before the Lord opened the door for him to serve as ARO executive director. He believes in ARO’s mission to be “Christ’s Love in Action” and looks forward to celebrating ARO’s 50th year in Martin County in 2022.

“My desire is to help those in Martin County who need hope, love and grace,” said Mills. “ARO focuses on three areas in trying to help families: education, addiction recovery and hosting short-term mission teams we call ‘Work & Witness’ teams from all over the country.”

Mills doesn’t know of a family in Martin County that hasn’t been impacted by the abuse and use of drugs and alcohol, including his own.

“I have seen where residents in Martin County have walked out of the grave because they decided and made the decision to get better,” said Mills. “ARC has made this happen for many I know and love.

“I have worked with ARC as a citizen, pastor, and now one who advocates for the least of these,” Mills added. “My heart and motivation are to see people give their hearts and lives to Jesus and know they have meaning and hope in Him. My call to come home has always been to serve the folks of Martin County. I believe ARC does this well, and many lives will be helped by their investment in Martin County.”