If you’ve never heard of a sobering support center, you’re not alone. Only 13% of St. Louis adults surveyed had heard of it, and of those, only 1 in 4 knew the name or address of St. Louis’s center.
What is a sobering support center?
A sobering support center is a better community response to public intoxication. It’s a safe place where people can stay for a few hours to sober up, instead of being taken to jail or sitting in an emergency room. It’s not a treatment center, but it can connect people to addiction and substance use disorder treatment, medical care, counseling, or housing support if they want and need it.
Why St. Louis?
In a 2024 survey, local adults ranked drug abuse, addiction, and overdose as the 4th most important health problem facing St. Louis. According to Jean Sokora, Director of the Dunnica Sobering Support Center in St. Louis, sobering support is “the ultimate in Harm Reduction, understanding that meeting people where they are reduces stigma and offers a myriad of positive outcomes.”
Who can use the sobering support center?
Any intoxicated adult (18+) can use the sobering support center. Admission is voluntary and walk-ins are welcome. Sometimes people walk to the center and sometimes center staff provide clients safe transportation to the center. Police, EMS, and medical staff can also send people who are publicly intoxicated to the center. In this week’s iHeard survey, awareness of the sobering center was low even among those who work in front line positions in healthcare, emergency services and social services. Raising awareness among workers and organizations in these sectors is a priority.
Help raise awareness about this resource
The Dunnica Sobering Support Center is located at 4066 Dunnica Avenue in south St. Louis City and can be reached at 314-502-0444 for support, or 636-688-4838 for information. Organizations can help spread the word by sharing the resources below, especially with police, EMS and healthcare workers.
Survey information
This week’s report is based on a survey of 149 adult residents in St. Louis, MO, conducted on October 19-21, 2024. Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
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Suggested Caption:
A sobering support center is a safe place where people usually can stay for a few hours to sober up. It’s not a treatment center, but it connects people to support. Sobering support is just one part of the solution to address the impact of alcohol and drug use.
#iHeardSTL #SoberingCenter #DunnicaSoberingSupportCenter #HelpIsAvailable
Suggested Caption:
A sobering support center is a safe place to get through an alcohol or drug crisis. It offers a place to rest, showers and snacks. Resource connection is available.
#iHeardSTL #SoberingCenter #DunnicaSoberingSupportCenter #HelpIsAvailable
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