BOZEMAN, Mont. – Gallatin County Alcohol and Drug Services has two recovery homes for recovering addicts in Bozeman, one for men and another for women.
The women’s home is closing at the end of this month.
The home has been a safe and sober place for recovering addicts to stay since 2002, and now due to a lack of funding and cuts in the 2017 Montana legislative session, it’s having to close its doors.
One Bozeman resident and recovering addict says this home is essential to the community.
“This home is vital. We need it, the women need it. Do you want to see the criminal behavior go down? Let’s get these addicts recovery,” said Rhenon Williams.
Programs and services offered through Gallatin County Alcohol and Drug Services are all too familiar to Williams.
Seven years clean, she attributes her recovery to not only the tight-knit family she has but the treatment options that are available in the community as well.
The home can house up to seven women and currently has four living in it — who will soon have to find someplace new. The men’s home, on the other hand, remains open.
“The men’s started with a different funding source and that one is also full all the time and we just get more referrals for that one. Also, the cost of rent for that one is much less for us,” said Shelly Johnson, executive director of Gallatin County Alcohol and Drug Services.
She added that this decision wasn’t the easiest one to make.
“I’m really sad about it. I think this is something we really need in our community and I’ve really seen it grow over the years since 2002 when I started it. And so it has been very rewarding, so it’s very difficult for me to see it close,” Johnson said.
Williams and other recovering women are trying to find an alternate solution.
“We’re trying to find another way if this program can’t work. We’re trying to work with the city, work with funding. We need to keep this house alive and I will fight vigilantly for it,” Williams said.
Johnson said the decision to close the recovery home is final.
