ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A new outpatient substance abuse evaluation and treatment center opened in Rock Island Wednesday morning.
The center, located at 4711 44th St. Suite 2, is run by The Good Shepherd Foundation of Henry County, a nonprofit that's operated a similar center in Geneseo since 1978.
Craig Klavon, president of Good Shepherd, said the foundation was contacted by Rock Island County last year asking for help with its backlog of substance abuse evaluations built up before COVID-19.
"There's a big need in Rock Island County to do evaluations, and to serve mainly Medicaid patients who don't necessarily have the ability to pay," Klavon said.
Good Shepherd in Rock Island offers a variety of services, including treatments for opioid, alcohol and substance abuse, group therapy, family counseling, DUI evaluation, driver's risk education classes, early intervention, continuing care and intensive outpatient, according to a press release.
Klavon said there are for-profit treatment centers in the area, which require insurance or payment for their services. Good Shepherd will treat anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. The center accepts Illinois Medicaid and can put patients on a sliding-scale payment system.
Klavon said he's been passionate about helping people with substance abuse problems since Good Shepherd began.
"There's not a family in this country that's not affected by alcoholism or drug addiction in some form," Klavon said. "Once it happens, they need to know where to go to get this help."
The center will take appointments based on patients' availability, operating about two days a week until it has a full-time staff, Klavon said.
To contact Good Shepherd, call (309) 944-6205, send an email to gsfhcoffice@gmail.com or fill out the form on their website.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel