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Centerstone Unveils New Marion Facility

Steph Whiteside/WSIU
Centerstone MAT facility in Marion.

Centerstone unveiled their new medication assisted treatment facility in Marion today. Congressmen Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) and John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) and State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) were on hand to tour the center.

The MAT facility will be the first of its kind in southern Illinois. It will offer access to three FDA-approved medications used for treating opioid addiction, as well as counseling, case management, peer support, and medical services.

"Medication assisted treatment itself is not treatment for opioid abuse," said Centerstone CEO John Markley. "It's part of the treatment."

MAT grant coordinator Mona Miller explained that medications can be an important aspect of addressing opioid addiction because they help manage the physical aspects of withdrawal, which allows people to focus on the mental and emotional aspects of recovery. 

"Withdrawal from opioids is like having the worst possible case of the flu you could imagine," she said. "So if you're going to ask somebody to try to deal with triggers and relapse prevention and trauma, all the things that may have led them to using opioids. You have to imagine having to do that on the worst possible day of having the flu."

Markley says the new facility will be important for people in the region, many of whom have had to travel long distances for medication assisted therapy.

"This is right at the main intersection of our major interstate highway systems and state highways" Rep. Shimkus said. "Very available and accessible." 

Shimkus said he was pleased to be able to tour the facility and see the results of legislative efforts that helped make the MAT facility possible.

The MAT facility plans to treat around 100 patients per year initially and continue to increase capacity as time goes on.

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