Families searching for addiction treatment centers in Abilene, Texas, will have more local capacity by late autumn. A faith-based recovery program for men is finishing a new dormitory in November, and the same organization plans to open a separate residential program for women in nearby Buffalo Gap. These two new centers will join the many existing treatment options for folks in the Long Horn State.
Nehemiah Abilene has served men in recovery for nearly seven years. The construction site on its campus will become a 60-bed dormitory, which adds roughly 20 beds to what the program already operates and creates room for about 20 more families each year, according to CEO Lee Morris.
Detailing the Expansion
Nehemiah deliberately built smaller than first planned. The original design called for 100 additional beds. After studying the effect on the surrounding community and weighing the program’s emphasis on job training and placement, leaders scaled back to the 60-bed building.
The organization has also bought property in Buffalo Gap, southwest of Abilene. Here, Nehemiah intends to open a 28-bed residential recovery program for women called the House of Esther. Morris noted the goal is to open both facilities in November.
Morris, who describes himself as being in addiction recovery, relayed how the program’s work and activities extend past stopping substance use. He described teaching life skills, helping men reconnect with their families, and preparing them to return to work. Morris pointed to graduates who’ve held local jobs for years and bought homes in the Abilene area.
Faith was central to the project from the beginning. Indeed, faith can trigger the same brain receptors that opioids do, which makes spirituality an effective approach to wean folks off drugs. For Nehemiah, scripture was written across the interior framing during construction, and Bibles were placed beneath the foundation before the concrete was poured.
Understanding Long-Term Residential Recovery Programs
Faith-based residential programs like this one occupy a specific place among addiction treatment options. It helps to know what that place is before you call.
These programs are typically long term, often measured in months rather than weeks. They usually combine peer community, structure, work or vocational training, and religious teaching. Many are funded by donations and charge little or nothing, though that varies by organization.
Most don’t provide medical care for withdrawal. If someone is physically dependent on alcohol or a benzodiazepine, stopping abruptly can cause seizures and can be fatal, and a medically supervised detox is the appropriate first step. Medications for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine and methadone, are prescribed in clinical settings rather than in residential discipleship programs, so consider asking directly whether a program supports someone who’s taking them.
None of that makes a faith-based program a lesser option. It makes it one part of a sequence that often starts somewhere else.
Signs to Look for Treatment
Families frequently wait longer than they need to. Common indicators that a substance problem has moved past occasional use include:
- Needing more of a substance to get the same effect, which is tolerance
- Feeling sick, shaky, anxious, or unable to sleep when the substance is not available
- Continuing to use after it has cost a job, a relationship, or legal trouble
- Losing interest in activities and people that used to matter
- Repeated failed attempts to cut back on your own
- Hiding use, or becoming defensive when someone asks about it
Any one of these can have other explanations. If several occur together, consider a conversation with a doctor or a counselor.
Addiction Treatment Centers in Abilene & Beyond
Whether or not a faith-based program fits, comparing local options is the practical next move. Remember that facilities often have different levels of care, so you can tell a detox facility apart from a residential program apart from outpatient counseling.
Ask every program what it costs, whether it accepts Medicaid or your insurance, and whether it has any no-cost beds.
Look into programs for co-occurring depression, anxiety, or trauma, since these frequently accompany substance use.
Search our browsable directory for addiction treatment centers in Abilene and across the nation. We feature detail on levels of care, substances treated, and payment options.
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