CAMPTON HILLS – Petitioners for an addiction treatment center at the former Glenwood site are disputing claims by a Campton Hills resident who is organizing opposition to the proposal.
Kiva Recovery is seeking to annex to Campton Hills and needs a special-use permit for an addiction facility, at the former school site, 41W400 Silver Glen Road, Campton Township.
Specifically, Kiva Recovery Vice President Phil Kosanovich said claims by Abe Andrzejewski are misstating the facts regarding “dual diagnosis.”
In a flier he is distributing to urge opposition to the plan, Andrzejewski asserted that the term means treating patients suffering from addiction to alcohol or drugs, as well as mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depressive or delusional disorders.
“It’s part of their legal notice,” Andrzejewski said.
The National Association for the Mentally Ill website defines dual diagnosis as treatments “for people who suffer from co-occurring disorders – mental illness and substance abuse ... focusing on one does not ensure the other will go away. Dual diagnosis services integrate assistance for each condition, helping people recover from both in one setting, at the same time.”
But Kosanovich said the proposed facility would focus on alcohol addiction and substance abuse. If a patient had schizophrenia or other serious mental illness, the patient would be transferred to another facility, he said.
“We are not going to be treating those people,” Kosanovich said. “That is not our expertise. We have a narrow focus.”
Kiva’s initial letter sent July 13 to neighbors of the facility uses the term “dual diagnosis rehab center,” but Campton Hills Village President Patsy Smith said Kiva officials’ public hearing testimony addressed that issue.
“It’s a moot point because that was clarified under testimony,” Smith said. “The petitioners have not said that [dual diagnosis] in testimony.”
Attorney Patrick Griffin, who drafted the letter which went out under his partner’s name, Richard Williams, said the term has a lot of connotations.
“Someone could be addicted to alcohol and different types of drugs,” Griffin said. “You can be depressed and have anxiety, and that constitutes dual diagnosis, but you would still be treated for alcohol and drug addiction.”
Griffin said the public was concerned the center also would be treating people with sex and gambling addictions or other serious mental health problems.
“The answer is simply no, we are not,” Griffin said. “This facility and the people employed by it are not equipped to treat those conditions and are not going to. But they we are going to refer patients – if those diagnoses are made – for treatment elsewhere.”
The Campton Hills Plan Commission is to continue hearing testimony on the proposed treatment facility on Oct. 22, but the meeting location has not been determined yet, officials said.
Andrzejewski’s website, www.stopkivarehab.com, contains other information about Kiva and invites the community to join in the opposition.
