With the new year, Ward 7 gained a viable resource toward the fight to lower substance abuse rates east of the Anacostia River, as Nehemiah Project DC — in collaboration with District recovery advocates — opened a long-awaited inpatient respite center on Jan. 1. The facility is dedicated to men grappling with drug addiction and offers hope and helpful services in a part of the District that is working to uplift residents, combat substance abuse and address health inequities.
Ralph Williams, founder of Nehemiah Project DC, along with Demetrius Jones, certified peer recovery specialist with DC Recovery Community Alliance and member of the Department of Behavioral Health Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, are proud to spearhead the new facility. Their goal is to guide residents from a place of despair to a promising resurgence.
“We welcome and want [people] to come,” Williams told The Informer. “That’s the biggest part of growing and taking the next step [in one’s recovery]. They need to know that when they come here, they are stepping into a non-judgemental environment.”
Located on Sheriff Road NE, the eight-unit building includes two beds per dwelling, with a living room space and kitchenette, housing a maximum of 15 residents at a time. In addition, there is a staff-operated vehicle designated to transport residents back and forth to medical and other support service appointments.
The 14-day program aims to sustain treatment for those self-medicating with illicit drugs, having around-the-clock access to peer recovery specialists to assist mental and emotional wellness, in-house chefs to provide nutritious meals throughout the day, and medical oversight to aid the detoxing process.
Residents are provided in-patient care for effectively 10 business days and two weekends, giving residents time to stabilize in the interim before moving into a drug rehabilitation center.
During the stay, occupants are connected to resources including housing options, job training, and support services from local organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
Jones, one of the Nehemiah Project’s lead peer recovery specialists, said he enjoys instilling faith in those struggling with addiction.
“I would say that it has been of the utmost importance, and one of the top priorities that I had in my life at this point, being able to have a [facility providing a] full continuum of care, full wrap-around services, with a no-nonsense type of approach to drug usage for individuals who have especially suffered from overdose,” Jones said.
Making Change in a Challenged Community
While drug addiction has plagued various communities across the District, the deadly opioid crisis has presented a staggering impact on local African Americans.
Predominantly Black neighborhoods within Wards 5, 7, and 8 experience the greatest number of overdose fatalities at 85% of all deaths due to opioid use.
While all genders of various ages are dying of opioid addiction, city statistics show African American men accounted for more than double the rate of fatalities suffered by Black women from 2017-2023, with between 70-77% of overdoses.
Environmental challenges, such as drug trafficking, high rates of single parenthood, and limited resources, paired with systemic prejudice, leave many community members struggling to balance their health and overall well-being.
William’s past incarceration and a successful 26 years of sobriety, along with Jones’ lengthy tenure of service and advocacy in the recovery space, inspired the center’s strategic program.
“Demetrius Jones and myself are experts who have been in the trenches. I’ve been in [their] position before,” Williams explained. “A lot of people don’t make it to treatment because they’re scared or just don’t know how to get in there. That’s what we’re here for. We can get you ready to go.”
Their combined experiences have helped create a tightly run program designed to relieve care recipients from the morbid trap of addiction.
“A lot of times people are not looking for respite housing, but safe spaces that allow opioid [or illicit drug] use in the facility. We decided that is not something we wanted for our community and our people — to be inside a place where people are administering fentanyl and having to be revived back and forth,” Jones told The Informer. “We want a safe space, but we want a safe space for people to get well and achieve their goals.”
Despite their expertise, Jones emphasized that the onus lies on residents to be receptive to all the program offers and the possibility of turning their lives around for the better.
“At the end of the day, you have to want to be healthy and want to accept the resources [that will help you move forward],” Jones said.
Largely funded through the Department of Behavioral Health’s Opioid Abatement Strategic Impact Grant, the first year of the facility’s operations will reveal the center’s sustainability east of the Anacostia River.
Although the center still needs community support to fulfill housekeeping needs including toiletries for residents, Williams is grateful to have received the funding. He is confident the current funding will allow his team to make a significant difference for a community that deeply needs the help.
“I am glad to see this come to pass,” Williams told The Informer. “One of the greatest issues we’ve had in the city is spending too much time talking about the issues but not doing something about it.”