Ozark Center/New Directions - Detox/Residential Unit

They are set up for 3 levels: inpatient residential, telemedicine and detox. Of the 8 centers within 14 miles of Joplin, 3 offer a bed.

They detox from opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine and methamphetamines. Coming off opioids without medical supervision can be dangerous, which is why it matters that this is one of 2 places near Joplin that do it.

There are 8 more within a short drive of Joplin, so this does not have to be the only call you make.

They prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone. Medication and counseling together is the standard of care for opioid use rather than an either or, and not every place near Joplin offers both.

They offer a program for people dealing with past trauma, which is worth confirming on the call rather than assuming. A named program and one with a place free this month are different things, and Joplin has 8 other centers to ask.

They treat people in Sign language as well as English, which not every place around Joplin does.

Most places run something for families, and the quality of it is one of the clearer differences between two centers. What a program will discuss with a relative is set by a signed authorization, and it can be as narrow as attendance only. Ask about the release of information early, because without it the updates stop.

The choice is normally made on medical risk and on what home looks like, in that order. People commonly start higher and step down, rather than choosing one level and staying there. Ask what happens if the level you start at turns out to be the wrong one.