BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Addiction Recovery Center’s White Oak Hill residential addiction recovery treatment facility in Inez got its first set of residents unexpectedly when flooding rendered facilities in other areas of eastern Kentucky temporarily uninhabitable.
ARC vice president of marketing Vanessa Horn Keeton says storms left ARC’s Creekside facility in Pippa Passes with no water and power, forcing 86 female residents to vacate.
“We are so grateful that White Oak Hill was already licensed and ready to hold our clients in this time of need,” said Keeton.
White Oak Hill is located in the newly renovated building that previously housed Inez Middle School. The ARC facility was slated for opening early this year but has not yet seen its first long-term resident.
White Oak Hill is currently awaiting full licensing approval as a residential treatment facility before officially opening. It has partial licensing status that allowed the emergent move to take place.
Extreme rainfall in eastern Kentucky caused flood damage to entire communities, killing and injuring dozens and leaving many others without water or electricity access. Knott and Letcher counties were particularly affected by the floods.
In Fleming-Neon in Letcher County, ARC’s Spring Hill treatment center was forced to close, displacing 24 men who were all in later stages of treatment. These men were initially moved to White Oak Hill in Inez but were moved the next day when it became apparent that the women from Creekside also needed a place to stay due to the flooding.
ARC’s Creekside women’s treatment facility, located in Knott County, lost power during the storms along with partial water access. Once it became clear the situation wasn’t going to improve anytime soon, ARC transferred the residents to other facilities.
Along with the patients temporarily residing at White Oak Hill, several ARC staff members have been given a place to stay after having their homes destroyed or damaged by the floods.
ARC has over 25 employees who have experienced significant loss due to flooding, with 15 losing virtually everything. ARC asks for your prayers as they navigate helping these employees rebuild their lives.
