“The Counseling Center traffics in junkies; the majority leave treatment and then become homeless, adding to the crime. I know that for a fact. I witnessed it.” Bombshell allegations from a former employee of the area’s largest drug rehab facility.
This comes at a time when Portsmouth City Council is calling on local rehabs to let them know exactly how many rehab patients are from out of town. According to the former employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, it’s the majority of clients. “Most of the people in treatment come from outside of Scioto County. I don’t know the percentage, but in two-plus years of working there, I only met maybe 20 of the hundreds upon hundreds of clients they bring in that were from this county. And I had access to every single client’s medical chart and information. It was part of my job.”
Our source said the motive is pure profit. Every single client that comes through the counseling center is paid for; whether it’s their first or 10th time. The directors make close to six digits. And I say that because I saw my director’s pay stub at one point.”
He says the Counseling Center is centered on relapse, not rehab. “They hold addicts until their time is up then send them back to the real world. So then they know all they have to do is use drugs again. When they do, they eventually get caught, and the judges sentence them to treatment instead of a lengthy jail sentence. So they go to “treatment,” where they receive 3 square meals a day, and live in a hotel on US 23 from the county’s tax dollars funding it. And every single person that leaves treatment eventually gets caught and they get sent back. It’s a revolving door, and the counseling center gets money every single time.”
Despite generous compensation for directors, our source says the employees are not well paid.” I worked with urine specimens and people who had diseases such as hepatitis and even HIV; we were paid $13 an hour to risk our well-being.”
Like many local officials, he blames lapsed rehab patients for rising crime and homelessness in the area. “The counseling center is the reason for the crime and homelessness problem. The majority of clients they bring in from outside of the county relapse; when they relapse, they become homeless and break into vehicles, homes, and businesses. It’s a revolving door, and it’s black and white it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make 2+2=4.”
However, Counseling COO Aaron Wagner doesn’t agree with that equation. We’ll have his response to the allegations in part 2 of our special investigation.
Read Part 2 Here
