Saturday, March 15, 2025
34.0°F

Northwest addiction treatment centers will remain open after state inspections

by By MARA SILVERS Montana Free Press
| February 20, 2024 7:00 AM

A company that operates 86 treatment beds between two addiction treatment centers in northwest Montana will stay open following state investigations into poor admissions practices, inadequate documentation of treatment plans and a failure to appropriately report serious incidents.

Inspectors with the state health department decided in January to extend the license of Recovery Centers of Montana’s women’s facility in Hungry Horse until January 2025. The men’s facility in Columbia Falls, however, will operate on a provisional license until July 2024, with state officials raising concerns this month about patients being admitted while high or inebriated and the staff’s failure to report an incident where residents were allowed to remain at the facility after making racist threats toward another patient.

In a Thursday phone call, RCM’s co-founder and co-CEO Jim Driscoll said many of the state’s lingering issues were being addressed at the Columbia Falls facility, but he disagreed with some of the characterizations and findings in the most recent report. Overall, he said, he was pleased with the progress of both treatment centers and added it had been “a great partnership with the state, working on making us a better organization.”

Become a Subscriber!

You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.

Already a subscriber? Login

Print + Unlimited Digital Access USPS In County Mail
  • $55.00 per year
Buy
Unlimited Digital Access
  • $50.00 per year
Buy