Christopher Foster is putting together a plan to ease fears and ensure safety.
The CEO of Aspen BHS, the parent company of the Ladoga Recovery Center, contacted Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham on Monday shortly after the sheriff shared his concerns about the addiction center during a public meeting of the Montgomery County Commissioners.
Needham told commissioners that his department as well as the county ambulance service operated by the Crawfordsville Fire Department have been inundated with calls for service to the center at 8506 Academy Way.
Foster told the Journal Review that he spoke to both Needham and Crawfordsville Fire Chief Scott Busenbark on Monday and that his goal is to put together a plan that will ease the fears of the community while ensuring the safety of his employees.
“After talking to the sheriff and fire chief, I fully understand their concerns,” Foster said. “I am personally going to oversee the changes we will make that will rectify the situation.”
Foster believes the staff in Ladoga can run the facility in a manner that will ease concerns with the county public health officials and with the Ladoga facility staff.
“This is the first time I have been involved with this situation and I want to make it clear that our staff understands what we need to do,” Foster said. “I do not want our facility to be a burden on the county taxpayers or public safety officials.”
Foster said changes will be made internally in the processing of admitting patients. The CEO said the company will now do a more in-depth check of public records to try to stop those with violent felonies from being admitted. Foster admitted it can be a challenge to find the complete criminal history of a patient due to aliases. He pledged his company will do better.
“So many of our patients have a criminal history because that is what happens when you become addicted,” Foster said. “We need to make sure our staff is safe and that might lend to calling 911 before a situation gets out of control. Sometimes our patients can be difficult to handle, and our staff calls 911 before the situation gets worse.”
“Our goal is to greatly reduce the number of 911 calls by handling more situations internally,” Foster said.
Foster also said his company is prepared to offer a generous financial contribution to the sheriff’s office and Crawfordsville Fire Department to help with the extra burden being experienced on the two departments.
Foster said the Ladoga location, which operates in the former Indiana Children’s Home, has only been open for six months and that his company is experiencing “growing pains.”
Foster added that the services provided by the center are needed locally.
“We know this area needs what we do,” Foster said. “And, I have complete confidence in our team to make the necessary changes. We have an incredible staff, and they will work hard to take care of our patients and relieve the burden being placed on local public safety agencies.”
Needham said Tuesday that he is pleased that Foster reached out and believes the conversation went well.
“I am very optimistic that the situation will be improved,” Needham said. “What Christopher (Foster) said was good, but you have to remember what the director at Ladoga told me was good, too. The problem was things did not change.”
“Time will tell,” Needham said. “I certainly will keep an eye on it. If things do not improve I will keep bringing it to the attention of the commissioners and county council.”
