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Alexandria, 20 minutes south of the District of Columbia, is located on the Potomac River and part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Known for its historic downtown center called Old Town, home to boutiques, restaurants, antique stores and theaters, draws those who live in Alexandria and visitors alike.
Like Old Town, many Alexandria neighborhoods are compact and walkable. It is the 7th largest and highest-income independent city in Virginia.
As you begin the process of searching for the best treatment program for yourself or a loved one, there are a lot of factors to consider. You don’t need to travel out of state to get high quality treatment as there are great options locally in Virginia.
Determining what level of care is necessary can be extremely overwhelming. Talking to a knowledgeable treatment and mental health professional can help assess your needs, and guide you to resources that would be best for you.
Our Virginia office is located in Reston, about an hour from Alexandria. At this location, we conduct our young adult PHP, and teen IOP programs as well our assessments and parent support groups.
2020 Martins Grant Ct., Crownsville, Maryland, 21032
(667) 458-6880
The Continuum of Care
Access a full range of treatments for mental health and substance use disorders. Whether you need a safe transitional living program, inpatient care, or outpatient treatment, we have a program to help.
Our 24/7 Medically supervised detox and inpatient program lasts 5-21 days.
We understand that you have your own unique story, so once you are safely stabilized, we listen to you about what has been going on and perform medical and psychological evaluations to get a better understanding of your individual needs.
Our comfortable private rooms and safe, supportive environment help you to recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
Alexandria has one the country’s oldest farmer’s market, dating back to the country’s first President, George Washington. He would bring his produce from his farm in Mt. Vernon. Another fun fact about the city, is that it has the first established library by John Wise. Originally called The Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, the group wanted to create a space where people could read and learn about the world. Alexandria is a popular city for tourism and takes in over $800 million a year. But like many cities in Virginia, Alexandria has its own struggles with substance abuse.
Despite being one the best places to live, Alexandria, like so many other cities in the US is struggling with drug addiction and alcohol abuse. The opioid problem in Virginia became so bad that in 2016, a public health emergency was declared. Not only were people dying and overdosing on opioids, the state saw an increase in blood borne pathogen infections (Hepatitis C and HIV) due to the sharing of dirty needles. In 2018 an average of 3 Virginians died of an opioid overdose daily.
In 2013, the leading cause of unnatural death was fatal drug overdose, followed by motor vehicle accidents and gun fatalities. In Fairfax County, the death rate from heroin overdoses has doubled in the past two years, (similar to national trend) especially among young adult males.
Prescription drug and marijuana use has remained consistent among teens and young adults since 2011. On a positive note, fewer teens are smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol than at the start of the century. Virginia legislature is beginning to decriminalize marijuana and make it legal to smoke. This could pose challenges to public health officials who recognize that teen marijuana use can have an adverse effect on the growing brains of teens.
The Department of Community & Human Services in Alexandria offers a wide range of substance abuse treatment services. The Opioid Work Group was created in 2015 to respond to the opioid crisis with a series of initiatives to reduce opioid misuse and its harmful effects throughout the city. The Work Group is a multi-agency partnership comprised of representatives from city services to community partners taking a multi-dimensional approach to attacking the crisis. Those initiatives include:
Since the Work Group began, they have noted several accomplishments. Highlights include the addition of drug take back boxes for used and unused needles, REVIVE! Narcan Trainings, diversion programs from jail to treatment, and staff trainings about opioid overdoses, administering Narcan, and activating the emergency response system.
Virginia Department of Health created Comprehensive Harm Reduction (CHR), which is a set of Public Health strategies intended to reduce the negative impact of drug use including HIV, Hep C, overdose and death among people who are unable or not ready to stop using drugs by creating a needle exchange program where participants can exchange dirty needles for sterile hypodermic needles and syringes. CHR, also called needle exchange, syringe services, or syringe access, can decrease the spread of HIV and hepatitis.
In addition to seeking out support from addiction professionals, having a network of people that will build you up as you continue your sobriety is very important. Organizations like 12 Step Programs and SMART Recovery provide meetings that build up sober individuals and help to create a supportive community.
