A new residential treatment center specializing in trauma services for first responders could be coming to Oakley. But if it does, the only senior care facility in Summit County will close.Oakley announced last week they would be accepting public comment until Friday regarding a request from Chateau Recovery Center to make a minor amendment to the existing conditional use permit. A public hearing is not required, but officials wanted to hear the community’s comments and concerns — most of which regard the critical need for assisted living options in the area.Sherri Smood, whose mother has lived in the Elk Meadows Assisted Living Facility for two and a half years, said it’s been nice to have her so close to home. Smood visits her every day. Without another facility in Summit County, she’s worried about what the move would mean for her family.“What are we going to do? To move them is going to be very cognitively difficult for them. It’s not going to be easy, and there are wait lists everywhere. I don’t know how they’re all going to find a place to go,” Smood said.Danny Warner, the CEO of Chateau Recovery, acknowledged the scrutiny over his proposal to convert the existing 42-unit Elk Meadows into a 56-bed facility for people suffering from drug and alcohol abuse or post-traumatic stress-related disorders. A recovery center is an allowable use for the zone, and one Warner said is also much-needed in the community.He planned to visit with staff and some of the residents on Monday afternoon to appease their fears and answer any questions. Representatives from Elk Meadows did not return a request for comment by publication.“After a two-year plus search, I found this facility was for sale. I think COVID really was pretty tough on most of these assisted living type programs,” Warner said hours before the meeting. “Now to be really clear, this is not a done deal. This is something that takes some time to be able to do.”Twelve years ago, Chateau Recovery opened its 16-bed facility located near the 13th hole of the Homestead Golf Course in Midway. The treatment center started by treating adults struggling with substance abuse, but Warner said they shifted to more specialized programming about six years ago.Staff were dedicated to learning and treating the “why” of addiction and other stress disorders, which led them to create a comprehensive program focused on first responders who are struggling with depression, anger, suicidal ideation and anxiety. “We really got to help them address those underlying issues and a big part of that is trauma, but then also changing your relationship with stress, learning how to manage stress in a different way, learning positive coping strategies and tools that allow you to be able to get a different kind of result,” Warner explained.Around 80% of clients are people who have worked in police, fire or the military though there are also a lot of doctors, nurses and lawyers. The program has been vetted and endorsed by the Fraternal Order of the Police and is a part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs community care partner network. The majority of clients come from out of state. Most are over the age of 30 and about 40% don’t struggle with substance abuse. Warner said Chateau Recovery is not a behavioral program and individuals with court orders are not accepted. “We’re not well suited for young adults. We’re not well suited for people who don’t want to be in treatment,” Warner said. All clients are voluntarily admitted for a minimum of 30 days and up to 90 days to address trauma. Chateau Recovery focuses on individualized therapy that helps clients transfer back to a healthy life after discharge from the facility. The Midway center’s 16 beds are often at capacity, and Warner wants to expand programming to better serve those in need including specialized programming for police officers and veterans as well as for women and men. It would close if the Oakley facility opens.Therapists practice recommended treatments such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, brainspotting and neurofeedback therapy as well as holistic practices like breathwork, meditation, yoga and walking and talking in “zenned out” places.The overall footprint of Elk Meadows wouldn’t change under the Chateau Recovery proposal with some updates to the landscaping. Warner is working with the Oakley officials and Elk Meadows through the process and he anticipated it would take several months if it’s approved. Chateau Recovery could be operational by early next year. If the center opens, Warner said he wants to hire some of the assisted living facility employees to work there. The center would be staffed 24/7. It could eventually grow to 56 beds, but it would be dependent on need.Elk Meadows employs Rocky Mountain Care to manage the facility, and discharge planners would help relocate residents to another center such as The Lodge in Heber. There is a 30-day minimum notice required for residents and families. “I’ve been here 30, 32 years. I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘That’s where I was planning on going when I get older.’ And I’m like, ‘There’s not going to be a place for you to go if we don’t do something here,” Smood said.Warner would honor the notice period, and he said he wants to work with staff to create a game plan once a decision is made. He said he values community connections and wants to be a good neighbor.The Wasatch Crest Treatment Facility opened in the former BeeHive Home, a former assisted living facility, in the Highland Estates neighborhood in early 2023. Despite public opposition, the facility has had zero complaints filed against it.Public comments regarding the potential Chateau Recovery Center can be sent to [email protected]. The post Proposed treatment center in Oakley means uncertainty for senior residents appeared first on Park Record.