With substance use disorders rising at the same time as inflation, Nexus Recovery Center is experiencing a perfect storm.
Founded in 1971 in Dallas, Nexus offers a host of comprehensive services for women, including specialized substance use disorder treatment services, as well as therapeutic treatment and care for their accompanying children.
But those services cost money. And with inflation, the costs are rising.
"The state of Texas has not raised the reimbursement rates that we receive to serve women or women with children since 2018," Nexus CEO Heather Ormand said.
"Our costs have gone up astronomically," Ormand added. "There was a mass exodus of healthcare workers during and after the pandemic. So recruiting qualified healthcare workers has become extremely challenging. And we have had to increase our wages year after year to the tune of 20-30% in some cases in order just to attract qualified workers."
Ormand is heading to Austin on Tuesday, Feb. 21 to lobby for legislative changes at a Finance Committee hearing.
"We have had this huge gap in revenue versus cost that we have had to fill and privately fundraise in order to fill that gap," Ormand said.
And with lawmakers so focused on the fentanyl crisis in Texas, she said centers like Nexus can help.
"There is an answer to the fentanyl crisis, and that answer is treatment," Ormand said. "There are service providers throughout the state that rely on those dollars that our legislators have access to, to provide quality treatment to women and to children who need it."
Ormand said that Nexus can use volunteers in various capacities all year long. They are also in need of clothes and supplies for children living on campus with their mothers as they seek recovery and healing.
If you would like to learn more about supporting some of those needs, visit nexusrecovery.org.
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