Owners of St. Catharine College announce new tenant, ARC
SPRINGFIELD, Ky.- The owners of the former St. Catharine College property, Washington Facility and Land Company (WFLC), today announced they have reached an agreement with a new tenant. Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), a nationally-recognized Kentucky company, has chosen the spacious campus in Springfield to expand its highly regarded “Crisis to Career” rehabilitation services.
The property owners believe ARC will prove to be a long-term partner and asset for the region, which is known for its family values, work ethic and compassion.
“When we purchased this property, we said our plan was to bring some life back to this facility and add value to the community. Today, we’re pleased to say we are making good on that goal,” said Jake Schirmer, CEO of The Walker Company, which manages the facility. “ARC will occupy the property July 1, pending approval by the Springfield Board of Zoning Adjustments.”
ARC operates a network of 38 addiction treatment centers in 16 Eastern and Central Kentucky counties. The organization, headquartered in Louisa, Kentucky, offers a full continuum of care including detox, residential, transitional, intensive outpatient, outpatient, medically assisted treatment (MAT), vocational rehabilitation, and job training. The treatment centers are holistic with CARF-accredited clinical programs, medical services directed by an addictionologist, a Christ-centered spiritual emphasis that includes the 12 steps and chaplaincy care, and a broadening scope of vocational training opportunities for clients.
ARC’s unique blend of treatment has yielded staggering success rates of greater than 80% sobriety three years out rather than the 15-20% rates other treatment interventions see on average.
Addiction Recovery Care CEO Tim Robinson said the organization is eager to make its successful program available to more people in Kentucky.
“The need is real within our state and our nation for treatment programs that truly return people into the community with life and job skills that will enable them to succeed long-term,” said Robinson. “Due to a lack of treatment beds across Kentucky, we are turning people away every day who need our services. They are good people who want a productive, healthy life. This project allows more people to get the treatment they so desperately need.”
ARC will first apply for an outpatient license, which will be followed soon by an application for inpatient services. This project will need an expected workforce of more than 400 employees over the next year, which is an approximate client to staff ratio of 2 – 1 with 24-hour coverage.
The economic impact of the facility is estimated to increase exponentially with an estimated payroll of $15 million pouring into the Springfield community.
Springfield-Washington County Economic Development Executive Director Daniel Carney pointed out that the 2016 closing of St. Catharine’s campus had a serious impact on the local economy and the culture of the community.
“We loved our college and the more than 100 jobs it gave us while in operation. Of course, we would value having another institution of higher learning take its place. But, in today’s economy, that is not realistic. Higher education is relying more on distance learning and reducing bricks and mortar,” said Carney. “Successful rehabilitation programs are needed all over the country, especially those that incorporate career training and job placement.”
ARC plans to work with local agencies to offer its clients education and job training services so they will be prepared for their new chapter when they graduate from the program.
WLFC will renovate the inside of the buildings to accommodate the program, including dormitories, dining halls, recreation areas, and medical facilities.
“We have made necessary improvements to the property since purchasing it, kept up the extensive grounds, and provided security. Now we are pleased to be able to make more updates and put these beautiful buildings back to work,” said Schirmer.
Following zoning approval, ARC and WFLC will host an Information and Job Fair on the campus to share information with the public. The event is tentatively planned for mid-July.
For more information about ARC, visit arccenters.com.
More About the Toll the Drug Crisis is Taking on Kentucky
It is nearly impossible to find someone in this state who hasn’t felt the pain of addiction in some way.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there were 25,428 admissions to Kentucky drug and alcohol rehab programs in 2018. Nearly 70 percent of those admitted were men and about 30 percent were women. The need for treatment is acute in Kentucky.
In 2017, 1,160 opioid-related deaths occurred in our state, the fourth-highest rate in the U.S. That’s 27.9 deaths per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 14.6 per 100,000.
Research from AIDSVu indicates that methamphetamine use may be rising to problematic levels similar to heroin use. Kentucky currently ranks number 8 in the U.S. for meth seizures.
