People needing a quiet place to sober up will soon be able to get help and an easier pathway into longer-term treatment at a recovery hub downtown.

Bridgeway Community Health will achieve a goal more than a decade in the making when it opens its expanded facility with Salem’s first sobering center and a larger detox program.

In less than three months, the services will join the organization’s downtown location at 750 Front St. N.E., which already has programs for substance use disorders, mental health, gambling and other addiction services.

Bringing multiple types of addiction treatment together in one location has been a goal for Bridgeway’s leadership since 2012.

With the new center, more people can have a smooth transition to long-term recovery with quicker access to treatment that avoids jail and crowded emergency rooms.

“I’m really proud that we were able to stimulate the support of the community to create this,” said Tim Murphy, who founded Bridgeway over 17 years ago and now directs the nonprofit’s foundation.

Early on, he said the concept was a “dream.” 

“We had to put in several years of perspiration, work to prove to the community that Bridgeway could do this,” Murphy said.

The new center is part of the organization’s overarching goal to make it easier for people to continue their recovery with treatment and medical care, according to Bridgeway leaders.

Murphy and Doug Cox, director of medical services at Bridgeway, described having various treatment options in the same building as a warm handoff for clients, who will have more stability as they go from one step of treatment to the next.

“Maybe it’s going to another program, maybe it’s trying to get them coordinated to go to (Union Gospel Mission) the next day or go to ARCHES for some more services,” Cox said. “But really the key will be, you know, a safe place to sober, and then a chance to at least talk to them about some options and do some referrals.”

Sobering, withdrawal treatment

The new medical center will provide an additional resource before longer-term treatment that currently doesn’t exist in Salem.

A sobering center is a place for law enforcement officers and emergency responders to deliver people under the influence of alcohol or other drugs who need to ride out their intoxication. It’s usually a matter of hours.

It will be part of a new two-floor space that also includes a primary care clinic and a larger space where Bridgeway’s existing detox program will move. That will be connected to the existing Bridgeway Plaza, which opened in 2022.

It also has space for a pharmacy, which Bridgeway plans to find a partner to contract with to run.

The sobering area has a main room that will have recliner chairs for up to six people, along with two private rooms. Cox said those can be for people who want to sleep privately, listen to music or walk around without disturbing others.

Medical staff and nurses can observe people. Patients usually take between six to eight hours to sober up according to Cox. 

From there, patients could enter a detox program. People in detox often stay between four and seven days under medical observation as they receive treatment for withdrawal from alcohol, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and prescribed opiates.

Counselors or recovery mentors will talk with individuals about whether they’d like to move forward with treatment, but people are free to leave without committing.

Bridgeway officials haven’t yet solidified how people will connect with the center. It could be by walking in on their own, a scheduled appointment, or being dropped off by law enforcement or emergency responders. Cox said they expect to end up with a combination of those sources for patients.

If the Salem Police Department or Keizer Police Department fund one or more beds at the sobering center, officers would have a dedicated place to drop off people who are intoxicated.

“The real push for a sobering center frequently, not always, but frequently, comes from law enforcement. They’re the ones that get called, you know, there’s somebody out of control, or there’s somebody passed out … on a street, or there’s been a fight,” Murphy said. “So their only option, when you don’t have a sobering center set up, is to take them to the emergency room or take them to jail and put them under arrest for public inebriation.”

Emergency rooms are not the best-equipped place for someone experiencing an addiction and potentially mental health challenges, according to Murphy.

Putting someone in jail for substance use criminalizes their behavior rather than providing a space that can address their struggles, he said.

“What we’re hoping is with our incredibly talented staff, that when people come in for sobering that we’re able to meet with them, talk with them, have them evaluate, you know, what else would be helpful to you? What could help you from needing to consume whatever it is you’re consuming? How could you make better choices? And would you consider going to detox?” Murphy said.

Sobering centers are difficult to find around Oregon, as they are a recovery service that is excluded from state funding and most insurance coverage. The Bridgeway facility comes after the city of Salem for years listed a sobering center as a key priority, before city officials concluded in 2023 that Salem lacked the funds to operate one.

Construction on the nearly $15 million expansion started in April 2024, according to Bridgeway spokeswoman Alyssa Laidler.

In 2024, lawmakers awarded Bridgeway $10 million to construct the new center. Murphy said the project has since secured other state funding. 

Bridgeway will have a ribbon cutting for the new center in June. It will also expand the existing detox, with space for 34 people rather than the current 24.

Cox said he hopes the expansion means that Bridgeway staff won’t have to turn people away from getting help while experiencing withdrawal.

“My goal would be that every single bed is fully used every single day, because that’s the only way I’m going to really meet the need,” Cox said. “Whenever somebody is ready to go, my goal will be that we have a bed for them, if they’re ready for sobering, they’re ready for withdrawal services, if they’re ready for residential, that we’re ready for them.”

Staff from the current medical center will move to the new one, Cox said, but the organization also plans to hire up to six nursing staff or paramedics to observe patients and provide help at any time.

The primary care clinic in the center has six rooms for patients to be seen. Patients can get their bloodwork done and vaccinations, but will be referred to an urgent care clinic for more serious needs. Clinic staff won’t be able to do minor procedures like stitches, Cox said.

Bridgeway is also hoping to bring dental care to the clinic through an agreement with Gentle Dental in the coming months, according to Cox.

“The new medical detox center will increase access for individuals impacted by substance use disorders,” Carlos Texidor Maldonado, Bridgeway’s CEO, said in a statement announcing the expansion. “This expanded capacity aligns with our mission to deliver services across the continuum of care, strengthen pathways to wellness and improve health outcomes across our community.”

Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].

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