MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — The structure that stands on Middletown's Grove Street isn't just a building — it's a second chance. Soon, 18 men and women will move in and embark on a new phase in their recovery journey.
Dozens gathered with anticipation inside the Healing House, a recovery house opening in Butler County on June 15, for an open house. On Friday, we received an exclusive first look at the property, operated by provider Freya's Healing House, and what it will offer residents.
As Erica Norton, Healing House's chief marketing officer, explained, it will serve men and women who are in recovery from substance abuse and struggle with mental health issues. The house works to bridge gaps and provide them with resources.
WATCH: Here's an exclusive first look at the Healing House
"Anything from as basic as getting their birth certificate, getting their social security card, all the way up to helping them enroll in college or finding a career path — we help them with all of that, everything in between," Norton said.
The recovery housing facility, located at the corner of Grove and Jacoby Avenue, features 18 bedrooms to be split between nine men and nine women. The facility, Norton said, is also handicap accessible. It features a kitchen, game room and lounge.
"It's been a long time coming. We've been looking to expand recovery housing in Butler County," said Scott Rasmus, executive director of the Butler County Mental Health and Recovery Service Board. "This expands our capacity significantly."
The opening comes at a time, Rasmus said, when the area — which in past years has seen year-over-year declines in drug overdose deaths — is seeing a small uptick.
"We're starting to see it increase," he said. "That's where facilities like this come into play to prevent relapse, to prevent death, overdoses and safety issues, not only for the person, but for the community too."
In attendance on Friday were others who currently live in similar recovery housing facilities in the area, like Audrea Emmitt. She said her opioid misuse spanned 17 years. At 32 years old, she is sober and about to begin a new job soon.
"(Previously), I accepted I was gonna die as an active user. I accepted that. I got so hopeless," Emmitt said. "My life is in such a better place than (it) was."
Emmitt said a car accident in January 2024 changed her perspective on completing treatment. Prior, she had gone to rehab more than a dozen times.
"God was telling me, it's not your time. And now, here I am," said Emmitt.
