Bradford Health Services is located off a quiet tree-lined street in Germantown, outside of Memphis. Despite the idyllic facade, the community here faces the same mounting problems with drug and alcohol addiction that plague the rest of the country. Bradford provides a safe haven for those struggling with substance abuse, and works with unique passion and empathy to treat and educate as many Memphians as possible.

Bradford of Memphis is part of a larger network of treatment centers located throughout the Southeast, with almost thirty locations across Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia. Here in Memphis, Bradford offers a variety of services for people struggling with a primary substance of abuse. They house a detox facility and offer intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) for both adolescents and adults, as well as family support programs for loved ones of those struggling with addiction. Regionally, Bradford offers a multitude of services, from trauma-focused programs to recovery specifically for healthcare professionals and first responders. In addition, there are 2 residential centers in the region, as well as a variety of programs aimed at emerging adults, women, and those with a history of trauma. Click here to learn more about the different programs offered by Bradford Health Services.

The variety of programs offered by Bradford suggests the rampant but often misunderstood nature of drug and alcohol abuse. Tiffany LaClave, the Assistant Administrator for Bradford in Germantown, says working at Bradford has completely changed her life. After working in healthcare for years, she only realized after coming to Bradford how pervasive addiction was: it does not discriminate based on socioeconomic status, race, or creed. Debbie Coy-Wheeler, the Regional Director of Bradford, knows this first-hand, since she is in recovery herself; after she got her life back through treatment, she realized that she wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to helping others affected by drug and alcohol abuse.

Both Tiffany and Debbie have watched the rise of opioid abuse in the past few years, and with it, deaths from overdose. Both have attended too many funerals recently, and the problem has become so bad that Bradford is looking for ways to change its approach given the difficulty of treating opiate addiction. They say that education and prevention are key, especially for parents and loved ones. Addiction can happen right under our noses, so it is very important to know what to look for if you are worried someone you know might be abusing opioids.

The first step is to simply be aware – notice if your loved one has experienced any recent behavior changes, such as changes in friend group or isolation. Additionally, know what to look for – long sleeves in hot weather, burnt foil and spoons, and achy joints and runny noses could be signs of a greater problem. Finally, take preventative measures, even if you don’t believe your loved one has a problem: lock up drugs and safely dispose of them.

Bradford works to serve people of a variety of income levels, taking most types of insurance and taking TennCare at its Hunstville, AL office. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of affordable detox centers in Memphis for those who do not have insurance, and the number may even be declining due to cuts in state and federal funding. Bradford offers free consultations and drug screenings, making the first step towards sobriety simple. They also offer free community support groups, including the Concerned Persons Group for those who care about someone struggling with addiction (every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30) and Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing (GRASP), for those who have lost a loved one to addiction (every third Thursday at 6:00 pm).

More information:

ttp://bradfordhealth.com

 (901) 755-8111

Bradford Health Services, 8566 Cordes Cir, Germantown, TN 38139

 

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