SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Father Joe's Villages Tuesday cut the ribbon on a 44-bed facility providing substance detox services and sober recovery shelter to homeless San Diegans.
Part of the Paul Mirabile Center at 1501 Imperial Ave. and formerly a homeless shelter, the detox facility is the first like it in the city.
"Our hope for this center is that it can be more than a place for people to recover from substance use but a refuge," said Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe's Villages. "When people have the care they need at exactly the right time, they find hope and the drive they need to leave the streets behind for good and look towards a brighter future."
Numerous San Diego city and county leaders attended the ribbon- cutting. The facility's 44 beds increase the county's total number of detox slots by more than half -- there were 78 before the Father Joe's shelter opening.
"Father Joe's Villages' new detox center will provide hope, dignity, and a pathway to recovery for people experiencing both homelessness and substance-use challenges," Mayor Todd Gloria said. "Communities across California need more behavioral health beds, and projects like this show how the city of San Diego is doing our part."
This year, 291 people experiencing homelessness died due to a substance overdose -- around a third of all fatalities from overdoses in San Diego, according to a Father Joe's statement. A study published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 37% of homeless people across California reported using illicit substances.
"Today, with the opening of Father Joe's Villages' new detox beds, we're taking a crucial step forward in our fight against substance abuse and homelessness," County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said. "These beds mean more than just treatment -- they represent hope, dignity, and a chance for a new beginning."
Those using the detox beds will also have access to Father Joe's services intended to help them find permanent housing, as well as an on-site clinic, a kitchen and a laundry room, the homelessness nonprofit's statement read.
"Every person deserves the chance to heal and reclaim their life," said San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn, who represents the area where Father Joe's Village is located. "This new detox center at Father Joe's Villages offers hope and a path forward for our neighbors who are struggling. By standing together as a community -- with Father Joe's Villages, the county, and the city -- we are opening doors to recovery and a new beginning."
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