Senath community divided over new drug rehab center in former nursing home

Senath residents turned out in force at the town's community center Tuesday evening to both hear about and respond to the news of a drug rehabilitation facility moving into the beleaguered Senath South Health Care building.

Senath Mayor Joe Lane began the conversation about New Day Recovery Center branching out from its Caruthersville home to open a sister facility at Senath and, on a stoic note, said what a few residents in attendance were thinking.

"I want to be right up front," Lane said. "I wasn't rude to the (New Day Recovery Center) people.

"But what we went through with the last bunch, we did not want them," Lane continued. "That's speaking as me as a voter, as the board, and most people in this town."

Security issues at Senath South Health Care Center caused the facility to lose federal funding just a few weeks after police said a patient, Christian C. Ault, beat another resident to death at the nursing home.

Senath Police Chief Omar Karnes, who was also in attendance, said that was not the first time a violent death occurred at the hands of another resident at the now-shuttered facility.

"I believe you're government-supported," Lane told Divine Holiness Church Pastor Jamie Jones, who supervises New Day Recovery Center and two New Day employees who accompanied him to the meeting. "We could not keep you from coming in.

"So, we're gonna have to try to work with you," Lane continued. "I have a letter from the assistant chief of police at Caruthersville that said they done a great job there keeping people off the streets."

Still, Lane said the community wasn't prepared for a drug rehab facility located in the old nursing home.

"Like I said, we'd rather have a nursing home," Lane said. "10 to one.

"That's what the building was originally built for," he added. "A nursing home. Since you're gonna be here, and there's nothing we can do (to prevent the facility from opening), we do have some rules."

Lane noted Jones assured him New Day Recovery would hire qualified employees from the area.

"I understand Jamie Jones told us there would be no nursing," Lane said. "Am I right?"

"Yes," Jones replied.

"There would just be regular staff?" Lane asked. "Is it going to be staffed 24-7?"

"Yes," Jones said, and he went on to address some statements and answer some questions posed by Senath residents.

Jones rose from the front row of folding chairs to speak to the audience and was peppered immediately with statements from those who opposed the facility and questions from those who were more amenable regarding New Day opening its second center at Senath.

Jones noted his outfit is neither government-funded nor faith-based as most understand the definitions.

Jones said for the most part, his patients apply for and receive housing vouchers from the Missouri Dept. of Mental Health, which funds their stays at a rate of about $40 per day.

The center uses the funds to house entrants and to feed patients three meals a day, Jones said, and added that most people who enter the program arrive with healthcare provided by Medicaid.

"We don't force religion down people's throats," Jones said. "We don't make anyone attend church or prayer meetings.

"Nobody will be here who isn't clean (detoxed from drugs) already," he added. "They want to be here. They will not be roaming the streets."

Jones said the new drug rehab center would treat both men and women, 30 of each at once, who will be sequestered from each other, with men housed on one side of the facility and women on the other.

"I have a professional staff," Jones said. "In this facility, there will be 24-hour staffing.

"At night, there will be two people working on each end," he continued. "The left wing will be the women's facilities, and the right wing will be for men. Also, on the back part, we're looking to fix 10 or 15 rooms in case there is someone in the town who has nowhere to stay. If they're homeless."

One resident asked how four people would control 60 patients at night.

"Is this gonna be a secured deal?" he asked. "Or will they come and go as they please?"

"We take all our guys to their jobs appointments," Jones replied. "We take them on their store runs.

"We do all those things for them," he added. "They cannot bring cars to the facility."

Jones said New Day Recovery is not in the business of repairing relationships.

"We try to engage men back to their children and their families," Jones noted. "We don't fix bridges.

"We build new ones," he continued. "We're faith-based, but we don't force religion down their throats."

The pastor noted the center's activities are much different during the day than after hours.

"In the mornings, you might see counseling and services being provided," he said. "People coming and going within our facility."

His words spurred a flurry of statements and questions from the audience.

"You gonna put in new wiring?" the resident asked. "Light the halls?

"New fire extinguishing system?" he continued. "New kitchen? Are you gonna bring it to code? Or are you gonna leave it like it is? It'll cost $1 million to get it to code."

"I don't know if the money bothers you ..." Jones tried to reply. "I don't have money problems."

"I've got my lifetime tied up in my home," the resident said. "About a quarter mile from there.

"And she does, too," he added, referencing another audience member. "Keep your people at Caruthersville! We don't need them here! That place was built for a nursing home!"

"What you don't understand, sir," Jones responded. "Is that people in nursing homes are taking heavy medications."

"Yeah, but they're old," a woman commented.

"They're not getting out, running around and killing people!" the resident exclaimed.

Jones told the group, some of whom feared unsupervised, dope-hungry criminals lingering in their town, that young Senath residents, perhaps with behavioral issues and who were arrested for drug crimes, appeared in court, posted bonds, and returned to Senath untreated in most cases.

"I'm not dealing with any mental patients," Jones said, alluding to patients who formerly were housed in portions of the defunct Senath South. "There were young people here with mental problems who should never have been in your community."

"That's right," the woman replied.

"I'm dealing with human beings who could walk in here, not from mental units or courtrooms, and ask for help," Jones said.

"I understand what you're saying," he preached. "You're never, ever going to kill drugs. There are drugs right here in Senath. There are drugs at Steele and drugs at Kennett."

"We've got a one-man police force," a resident said. "What's gonna happen when we call him?"

"There's not gonna be any security there?" a woman asked. "They could just walk through the doors, messed up on whatever they're messed up on and at that point, what is the difference between them and anyone else wrecked on drugs?

"My granddaughter lives right across the street (from the facility) and can see right into the windows over there," she added. "What's it for, (New Day) if it's not for people addicted to drugs?"

"I came here to explain to you all, in a professional way, what I'm doing," Jones said. "Let the record show I'm going to do it anyway.

"I just want the support and the love of y'all, to give opportunities," he added.

Lane spoke up in an effort to quell the discussions that were heavily laden with interruptions.

"Let me talk a minute!" Lane exclaimed. "We're not gonna argue back and forth.

"When Jamie Jones' group came, we let him know we did not want him," the mayor continued. "We can't keep him out. We got to try to work with him."

"I'm not bringing nothing bad to your town," Jones said. "These are human beings.

"They're good people," he continued. "And they made bad decisions. I'm sure we all have done that or have family members who have struggled with addiction. Whether it's alcohol, drugs, or whatever. But I'm here. You can come down whenever you feel like it. Please come down. You live right across the street? You're gonna look out in a few months and see how pretty things are."

Despite residents' and city officials' reluctance, New Day Recovery Center, where the question to those who seek treatment, "What's wrong with you?" is replaced by "What happened to you?" is a done deal.

New Day Recovery Center at Caruthersville is located at 1203 E. 18th St., Caruthersville.

New Day Recovery Center at Senath is at 300 Hornbeck St., Senath.

For more information, log on to https://www.divineholiness.org/recovery-center