Expert Insights
It’s hard to believe, but there were 117 people who died from a drug overdose in Clarksville’s Montgomery County in 2021. Of those 117, 98 had fentanyl in their systems, according to the TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. With no end in sight for the fentanyl crisis on our hands, the only tool we really have to combat this deadly synthetic opioid is naloxone (sold under the brand name Narcan). It comes in both an injectable form and a nasal spray. And with so many fentanyl-related deaths, Clarksville’s Save a Life program (part of the Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition) is providing free naloxone nasal spray and free training on how to use the medication known as the “anti-overdose medication.” The group also teaches people how to identify the signs of an opioid overdose, how to call for emergency help, and how to assist the victim while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
~ Nikki Seay
Cost of Drug Rehab in Clarksville
The cost of alcohol or drug rehab in Clarksville varies from facility to facility and program to program based on several factors. The type of treatment you need (inpatient vs. outpatient) and the length of time you spend in rehab will play major roles in determining the cost of your care. Whether you have health insurance and what your plan covers will also impact your out-of-pocket treatment expenses.
According to SAMHSA, 11 rehab facilities are situated within a 25-mile radius of Clarksville. Most, if not all, of these facilities offer multiple payment options to accommodate patients at all income levels. The breakdown is as follows:4
10 accept cash or other forms of self-payment
3 offer services on a sliding fee scale for patients with low incomes
6 accept Medicaid insurance coverage
6 accept Medicare insurance coverage
9 accept private health insurance
2 offer payment assistance to qualifying individuals
1 offers services free of charge to individuals who qualify
Clarksville, TN, Drug and Alcohol Statistics
Tennessee Department of Health data shows that Montgomery County, of which Clarksville is the seat, has one of the highest rates of overdose fatalities in the state. Statewide alcohol and drug data collected from 2017 to 2020 shows that:1, 2, 3
90 Montgomery County residents lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2020, a 23% increase from 2019.
Most drug overdoses in 2020 involved multiple substances; 74 involved fentanyl, 17 involved prescription opioids, and 13 involved heroin.
Montgomery County hospitals recorded rates of overdose-related inpatient stays in 2018 (288 stays), 2019 (235 stays), and 2020 (220 stays).
46% of patients admitted to Montgomery County alcohol and drug rehab facilities from 2015 to 2017 reported misusing prescription opioid drugs.
Alcohol and Drug Laws in Clarksville, TN
Tennessee Addiction Treatment Act (Overdose Prevention): In Tennessee, anyone who (in good faith) seeks emergency medical assistance for a person who appears to be overdosing can receive legal immunity for certain drug-related offenses. If law enforcement obtains the evidence for possession or use of illicit substances during the assistance request, the offender cannot be arrested, charged, or prosecuted for the offense. This law also applies to the overdose victim, but only when the incident is the individual’s first such overdose.
Tennessee Naloxone Standing Order: In Tennessee, any person at risk of an opioid overdose and any person who may be able to save an overdose victim’s life can obtain naloxone from a pharmacy without a prescription. The state’s Good Samaritan Law grants immunity from civil suit to providers who dispense and/or administer naloxone and laypersons who administer naloxone intending to save a life.10
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Under this federal law, many Tennessee residents are eligible for protected leave from their jobs to recover from a serious health condition. Both substance use and mental health disorders qualify as serious health conditions under this law.
A qualifying employee can take up to 12 weeks of leave within a 12-month period. To be eligible, the employee must work for a business that has had at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius for a minimum of 20 weeks in the previous or current year, have worked for their employer for at least one year, and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours during the previous year.
During leave, employees on company-provided health insurance are entitled to continue their plan at the same cost they were paying while actively working. Employers are not required to pay employees while they’re on leave, but they are required to reinstate returning employees to the same or an equivalent position.
Montgomery County Drug Court: In Clarksville, non-violent offenders with substance use issues can opt to participate in the Montgomery County Drug Court as a special condition of their probation. This program lasts 15 to 18 months and aims to rehabilitate offenders with substance use disorders, so they can live more productive lives.12
Resources
- Clarksville, Tennessee Population 2021 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs). (n.d.). Worldpopulationreview.com.
- Tennessee Department of Health. (n.d.). TENNESSEE’S ANNUAL OVERDOSE REPORT 2021
- FindTreatment.gov. (n.d.). FindTreatment.gov.
- Tennessee Department of Health. (n.d.). Tennessee Drug Overdose Dashboard, Fatal Drug Overdose Trends by County.
- Tennessee Department of Health. (n.d.). Tennessee Drug Overdose Dashboard, Nonfatal Drug Overdose Trends by County.
- Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services. (2017, September). 2017 Tennessee Behavioral Health County and Region Services Data Book.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). FindTreatment.gov.
- Walley AY, Lodi S, Li Y, Bernson D, Babakhanlou-Chase H, Land T, Larochelle MR. (2020, August). Association between mortality rates and medication and residential treatment after in-patient medically managed opioid withdrawal: a cohort analysis. Addiction. 115(8), 1496-1508.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2016, December 16). Directory of Single State Agencies (SSA) for Substance Abuse Services.
- Office of National Drug Control Policy. (n.d). Substance Abuse and the Affordable Care Act.
- Medicaid.gov. (n.d). Substance Use Disorders.
- Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2016). Medicare Coverage of Substance Abuse Services.
- Tennessee Department of Health. (n.d.). Naloxone Training Information.
- U.S. Department of Labor. (2012). Fact Sheet #28: The Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Montgomery County Government. (n.d.) Adult Probation Services.
