MVP Recovery to offer greatly expanded services for substance abuse help
“We’re the only recovery program in the county that has all levels of patient care. (It was) started by Delaware County residents to serve Delaware County residents.”
— Brian Corson, founder of MVP Recovery
Delaware County is getting two new recovery services starting Monday — a 24/7 hotline for help and an access center to help people connect with treatment services.
Media-based MVP Recovery is activating a 24hour, seven-day-a-week Delaware County CRS Warm Hand-off program and opening the Delaware County Access Center.
“If you’re a Delaware County resident and you need help, you call this number,” Brian Corson, founder of MVP Recovery, said of the 855-MVP-2410 hotline. “There are people there to help you.”
These changes stem from the situation with for-profit Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. and its handling of services provided by Crozer Health.
Since the beginning of the year, Prospect has been severely reducing or eliminating services throughout Delaware County from paramedic services in at least seven towns, maternity services, the intensive care unit and the surgery unit at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, the inpatient hospice unit at Taylor Hospital and the emergency department, pathology, lab and medical imaging services at Springfield Hospital.
Out of concern from these actions, on April 20, Delaware County Council passed an emergency ordinance requiring notice to the Delaware County Health Department of impending closures or severe service reductions along with a closure plan outlining continuity of patient care and approval of that plan.
On April 21, Crozer Health issued a letter announcing the closure of the substance abuse clinic at Delaware County Memorial Hospital on June 10 and the “First Steps” inpatient acute substance abuse and addiction unit at Crozer-Chester Medical Center on June 11.
In addition, the Crisis Center at CCMC would close, along with all mental health and substance abuse treatment services at the Community Campus in Chester, including school-based services, intake, assessment and referral, case management, and psychiatric rehabilitation was identified for closure June 19.
Concerned about the fate of its citizens needing these services, Delaware County staff began reaching out and creating partnerships with many other providers of service and the County Council approved or expanded contracts with them.
One of these was MVP Recovery.
While Delaware County officials announced reaching an agreement with Prospect Medical that would extend behavioral services through Aug. 31, discussions between the county and the company continue and it is unknown at this point what will happen after August.
MVP Recovery was one of the providers Delaware County approached when it was uncertain what would happen with substance abuse services.
“We jumped in,” Corson said, adding that they were to step up and provide the hotline and access center. “We’re really excited to get this up off the ground starting Monday. We wanted to be able to step up to the table and say, ‘Hey, we can help.’”
Starting tomorrow, the Delaware County CRS (Certified Recovery Specialist) Warm Hand-off Program in which the 855-MVP-2410 hotline will be active 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Initially, it had been set up for responding to overdoses, but as of Monday, certified recovery specialists will be staffing that line for any person needing assistance.
“It’s for anyone who wants help,” Corson said. “Our main goal is … we’re going to be responding to
calls and we’re going to be engaging the community.”
He explained that anyone can call — people at a hospital, police officers, worried parents, or even a Wawa associate worried about a patron at the store at 3 a.m.
Corson’s directive: “Call us.”
Also, on Monday, the Delaware County Access Center opens at MVP Recovery’s outpatient facility in Media. Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, center staff will provide screenings and assessments for people who want treatment.
“It will work hand-inhand with our hand-off,” Corson said.
To reach the access center, the public will use the same number as the Warm Hand-off Program — 855MVP-2410 — to set up an appointment.
“That’s why we wanted these two programs to flow together,” Corson said.
He also explained that the access center has a virtual component in which screening and assessment can be done either virtually or over the phone for a multitude of services, including coordinating transportation to a treatment facility.
“When someone reaches out for help, you want to remove as many barriers as possible,” Corson said.
Having been operating for eight years in Delaware County, Corson is concerned about the low number of people looking for help.
“We know the uptick of usage in the summer months,” he said.
On average, he explained, his program would receive approximately 100 calls a month for service. Last month, it dropped down to 40 calls and it’s been lower than that this month — all while coming out of another year with the highest number of overdose deaths, he said.
“All because of people not knowing are things open,” Corson said. “We want to get that out there. Right now, phones should be ringing off the hook. This is needed but we’re afraid that people don’t know it’s out there.”
MVP Recovery began in Delaware County at a time when there were no long-term recovery living programs. In August 2014, they opened their first recovery house. Now, they have 22 throughout the county.
“Two years ago, in the midst of COVID, when everybody shut down, our residents needed more help,” Corson said. “We went to the county and said, ‘Our residents needed more support.'”
That’s when their outpatient counseling program opened.
“We’re the only recovery program in the county that has all levels of patient care,” Corson said of the services he said save so many lives. “(It was) started by Delaware County residents to serve Delaware County residents.”
And, he added, starting tomorrow, “They’re here, they’re live and they’re better than ever.”
To reach the Delaware County CRS (Certified Recovery Specialist) Warm Hand-off, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or to set up an appointment at the Delaware County Access Center, call 855MVP-2410.