Editor's note: This story was modified from its original version to correct information about where Behaviorial Health Centers owns rehabilitation centers.
STUART — Martin County Sheriff William Snyder has strong words for people who would seek treatment at a proposed rehabilitation center in Stuart.
"Go get cleaned up in your own town," Snyder told TCPalm.
Snyder is opposed to the proposed center for treatment of mental illness and drug- and alcohol-addiction in south Stuart near the border with unincorporated Martin County. The center would draw some patients from out of state.
The proposed rehab center, however, would be in the city of Stuart, not in Snyder's jurisdiction of unincorporated Martin County.
For his part, Stuart Police Chief Joseph Tumminelli declined to comment on the proposed center.
The City Commission planned to consider the proposal April 22 but tabled it. The commission is to take it up Monday.
Everyone who spoke about the proposal at the April 22 City Commission meeting was against the idea. One reason is the potential increase in 911 calls for people leaving the facility against medical advice.
"Based on my experience, (those leaving against medical advice) will be very difficult to control with a 140-bed facility and limited staff," said Wendy Rivers, CFO of Coastal Detox, a drug-and-alcohol treatment center in Stuart, at the meeting. "It is just too large" for the community.
Details of the proposal
The proposed center at 500 Southeast Indian St. near South Kanner Highway, is close to Coastal Detox, a 35-bed center also on Indian Street.
Behavioral Health Centers, which has three treatment centers in Port St. Lucie, is proposing the new center.
The center would have four small programs, said Jason Ackner CEO and founder of Behavioral Health Centers. Twenty-five percent of the center would be dedicated to mental-health treatment, 25% to medical detox and 50% to drug-and-alcohol treatment, for people with and without mental illness, he said.
Some support
The proposal did get support from an executive with the Treasure Coast affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the "nation's leading voice on mental health," according to its website.
"It is promising that he will have a wing dedicated to mental health," said Kathleen Murphy Smith, development director for NAMI Treasure Coast. "Many people with mental-health conditions first come into treatment centers with addiction issues. To have both services, along with the medical detox, is beneficial."
Coastal Detox concerns
For Coastal Detox, its concerns are simple, CEO Christina Tucker said in a statement: "size, patient acquisition methods and unintended consequences."
Based on her research, the center would "be one of the largest out-of-network addiction treatment centers in Florida," she said. The facility would be attracting patients from around the country.
"With an industry average of nearly one in four patients leaving treatment centers against medical advice, that could result in a lot of people who are far from home."
Ackner's arguments
Patients do leave against medical advice, Ackner said, but many change their minds. His business would call law enforcement or take the patient to the airport to avoid a public safety issue, he said.
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As far as out-of-state patients, only 25% of the patients at Behavioral Health Centers come from outside of Florida, Ackner said. Seventy-five percent live at least part of the year in Florida, he said.
Ackner did not return calls seeking further comment.
Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and 720-288-6882 .
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Proposed drug, alcohol rehab center facing opposition when it seeks Stuart's OK on Monday
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