Virginia Recovery Center Opens With 120 Beds and New Hope

A new recovery center in Chesterfield, Virginia, is giving people struggling with addiction what they need most: a second chance and a place that never gives up on them.

Avenues Recovery just opened its doors near Chesterfield Towne Center with 120 beds dedicated to helping people overcome addiction and mental health challenges. The timing couldn't be better as Virginia Department of Health data shows overdose deaths have been steadily declining since 2024.

Jamie Roy knows firsthand what a place like this can do. Six and a half years ago, he walked into a similar center as a daily drinker whose life had spiraled out of control. Today, he works at Avenues helping others find the same fresh start that changed his life.

The facility sits strategically on Carnation Road, less than a block from an area that sees the highest number of opioid overdose emergency calls in the region. Senator Mike Jones emphasized this location wasn't chosen by accident.

Treatment at Avenues lasts 30 to 40 days and tackles both addiction and mental health issues simultaneously. Nick Wieland, a behavioral health technician at the facility, explained that treating one without the other doesn't work because the untreated issue will resurface and undo progress.

The center accepts Medicaid, commercial insurance, and private pay clients. Every patient receives the same high quality care regardless of how they pay, a core belief that's guided Avenues since its inception.

The Ripple Effect

The impact of addiction treatment extends far beyond individual lives. When someone doesn't get help for addiction, they typically stop managing other chronic health issues too, creating mounting costs for the entire community.

Eric Frieman, chief operating officer, pointed out that a person with diabetes and untreated addiction will likely neglect their diabetes care as well. For Medicaid populations especially, this creates skyrocketing healthcare costs until the addiction is addressed.

The $5 billion annual cost of the opioid epidemic in Virginia spreads across lost labor, healthcare systems, child services, and criminal justice. By treating addiction at its source, facilities like Avenues help reduce these cascading community costs.

When clients graduate, they don't leave alone. Each person receives a detailed discharge plan and continued support through step down programs, sober living arrangements, and an active alumni network. Staff members continue checking in with graduates for years, maintaining connections that help people stay on their recovery path.

The facility is still hiring and working with community partners to fight addiction together.

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