North Adams city councilors will consider a resolution tonight calling on Berkshire Health Systems to provide in-patient opioid detox beds in the region.The resolution, put forward by the North County Cares Coalition, also calls on state officials to push for the services in Northern Berkshire County. Jim Lipa co-chairs the group which formed after the 2014 closure of North Adams Regional Hospital.
“There are outpatient addiction treatment services in North Adams, but there is no inpatient detox or clinical stabilization services in the city,” said Lipa.
BHS provides in-patient beds about 20 miles south in Pittsfield. State data shows 55 percent of the 359 substance abuse admissions in North Adams in 2014 were heroin and opioid-related. The council meeting starts at 7:30 at North Adams City Hall.
