Safe Place may take over area's detox services

Most of the more than 700 intoxicated people who end up in Cedar Rapids' hospitals each year just need a place to sleep it off, not acute medical care. A local nonprofit wants to give them just that, along with a potential head start on long-term recovery.

"We're thinking we could about serve three-quarters of that population, at a cost that's pennies on the dollar," said Mike Maynard, director of Safe Place. "As soon as they're able to, we would start talking to them about recovery."

Maynard said the Safe Place Foundation wants to expand its facility at 527 Sixth Ave. SE, where homeless people recover from drug and alcohol addiction. The project would more than double Safe Place's capacity to 70 beds and include an emergency detoxification facility serving many of those who now go to St. Luke's Hospital or Mercy Medical Center.

The two hospitals combine to treat 716 detox patients a year, according to a Safe Place-commissioned feasibility study by the Vernon Research Group.

Detox patients tend to lack health insurance, so the hospitals absorb most of the $6 million it costs to treat them each year.

"They are on board with this plan," said Maynard.

"We try to help and be supportive, and that would be our view of this organization," said Kent Jackson, St. Luke's director of behavioral health services. "We're pretty familiar with their organization."

"Assuming it's going to be managed properly and the oversight is going to be very thoughtful, conceptually we really support it," said Scott Lindsey, Mercy's operations director for post-acute services.

Maynard said the Vernon study estimates a hospital stay averages four days, at $2,000 a day. Lindsey said Mercy's cost is closer to $1,300 a day, while St. Luke's spokeswoman Sarah Corizzo estimated a daily cost of $600 to $750 a day.

"Most hospitals end up placing the cost for detox into the bad debt category as many of the individuals requiring these services do not carry insurance," Corizzo wrote in an email.

Maynard said the Vernon study estimates a Safe Place detox center staffed around the clock by workers trained in CPR and basic first aid could handle 85 percent of those who now go to the hospitals. Those needing medical care would continue to go to either emergency room, and  intoxicated persons who pose a threat to themselves or others would go to jail.

"We'd have a really close working relationship with the hospitals and with the police," said Maynard, who said he's discussed the plan with Police Chief Greg Graham.

A Safe Place detox facility would emphasize the same "social model" on which its present residential facility operates, Maynard said. Based on the Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy, the model includes study of AA's "Big Book" and regular community meetings.

"There's a lot of research using social influence to help others," said Jackson.

Safe Place would also add capacity to offer a seamless transition to recovery for those who want it. Maynard said the plan calls for adding 37 beds to the current 33.

"Our waiting list continues to be a challenge," he said. "We have more people awaiting services than we have beds."

On one day last week Maynard's waiting list had 22 names. He also had a two-inch stack of applications completed by people who failed to stay in touch.

"A lot of these people needed more immediate services," he said. "They couldn't wait for an opening."

Maynard didn't want to divulge the exact location, but he said Safe Place's board is considering a site near its present facility for the project, which doesn't yet have a cost estimate.

"There's just too many things up in the air yet," he said.

Safe Place is funded through grants and by its residents, who pay rent to stay there for up to 18 months.

In the meantime, Safe Place is raising funds for its continued operation with a raffle for a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, selling 400 tickets at $100 each for an Oct. 11 drawing. The group also seeks Safe Place Supporters willing to contribute $10 monthly toward operating costs. For information on either, call Safe Place at 366-3430 or email Maynard at

mailto://bigbookmike@gmail.com.