PARKERSBURG — Spero Health, a national leader in addiction recovery, has opened a new clinic in Parkersburg, the company said.

The clinic opened on June 30 at 2 Ferguson Drive, the second location Spero Health has opened in West Virginia, joining a network of more than 80 Spero Health locations throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana and Virginia and West Virginia.

” This second Spero Health clinic in West Virginia is just the beginning of our work in the state as we live out our mission to save lives, instill hope and restore relationships,” Spero Health CEO Steve Priest said.

According to the CDC from September 2020 to September 2021, West Virginia had 1,284 overdose deaths, a slight decline from previous years.

“Although recent data is encouraging, we can’t lose sight of how urgent the need is for our communities to have access to addiction treatment close to home, so we continue to see declines in these numbers,” Priest said. “Before COVID-19, the country was already in crises. When the pandemic hit, our community friends and neighbors struggled with relapse and experienced things like job loss and social isolation causing many to turn to substances to ease the pain.”

Synthetic opioids including fentanyl became the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States, Priest said. The surge of deaths will only continue due to the spread of the deadly street drug which is cheap and 50 times more potent than heroin, he said.

“It’s an extremely dangerous substance and often gets mixed in with other drugs and users unknowingly ingest it,” Priest said. “We are also seeing a resurgent of methamphetamine use complicating the drug epidemic further, but there is hope.”

Spero Health offers a community-based approach to treatment by using an innovative and evidence-based integrated care model that combines both physical and behavioral healthcare services under one roof.

“Often times people don’t know where to turn or are afraid of judgement, and we want everyone to know that recovery is possible,” David Hayden, senior vice president of clinical services for Spero Health, said. “Spero Health’s goal is to engage patients where they are in their journey and personalize the program to meet their specific needs so they can stabilize, allowing for interventions to support sustained recovery efforts.”

Patients have weekly access to a physician or nurse practitioner, counseling and recovery support services to help link them back to the community to address other issues such as housing, food insecurity and employment, he said.

Spero Health is an integrated healthcare services organization specializing in local and affordable outpatient care for individuals suffering from substance use disorders. The company is based in Nashville, Tenn. and privately held by Heritage Group, Health Velocity Capital, South Central and Frist Cressey Ventures.

The company operates more than 80 outpatient clinics.

Immediate appointments are available and individuals who need addiction treatment services are encouraged to call 866-755-4258 for more information.