The Conasauga Community Addiction Recovery Center has received a Georgia County Excellence Award from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen announced the award at a recent commissioners meeting.
“It’s always fun when you win an award,” he said. “And this is the second time in a little over two months (the recovery center) has been awarded. We were previously awarded (the Community Award) by the Georgia City-County Association.”
Jensen said Georgia Trend magazine is working on a story on the recovery center.
The recovery center opened in August 2023 at 301 W. Crawford St. in Dalton. It serves people in both Whitfield and Murray counties.
At a recent work session of the Dalton City Council, senior clinical counselor Melissa Beavers said the recovery center has already conducted more than 200 individual sessions, saving clients some $42,000.
Beavers said funding for the program is derived, in part, from money from Whitfield and Murray counties’ share of an opioid settlement agreement.
The center offers individual counseling, trauma therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Beavers said the recovery center has partnerships with a number of local agencies including Providence Ministries’ recovery programs and the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services in both Whitfield and Murray counties.
She said during the next five years the recovery center hopes to turn a part-time case manager position into a full-time one and open additional office space for additional counselors.