Douglas County weighs Avalon detox plan to boost local capacity 60%
Avalon could add four to six detox beds in Lawrence and lift Douglas County capacity by 60%. Commissioners are weighing whether it is a real expansion or a shift.
Douglas County staff said a new partnership with Avalon Wellness & Recovery Center could add four to six dedicated detox beds in Lawrence and lift local capacity by as much as 60 percent. The proposal would keep more people in the county when they are in intoxication or withdrawal crises, a change that could ease pressure on emergency rooms, law enforcement and families trying to get someone into care quickly.
Avalon would become part of the county’s social detox system alongside Heartland RADAC, the Treatment and Recovery Center and possibly ALIVE Inc. People seeking social detox would be referred to Avalon for stays of one to three days, then connected to longer-term help through providers such as DCCCA, Mirror Inc. or Heartland RADAC. The model includes 24-hour supervision, trauma-informed support, case management, peer support, discharge planning and a transition to ongoing treatment.
The center is not new to Lawrence. Avalon opened in April 2025 at 801 Iowa St. after founders David Hawley and Aaron Thakker bought and converted a former Super 8 motel into a 60-bed inpatient treatment center, the city’s first inpatient site for drug and alcohol care. About 10 of those rooms are already devoted to detox, with the rest used for residential treatment. Avalon received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation in August 2025, and leaders said in April 2026 that the center had treated 171 clients in its first year and was reporting a success rate of more than 60 percent.
Under the county concept, Avalon said four beds running at 85 percent occupancy could create about 1,241 bed nights a year and serve roughly 620 people. The center would ask for $142,350 for the first six months to cover staffing and implementation, then bill the county $195 per occupied bed night. The estimated annual cost for 2027 would not exceed $284,700, with regular reports on utilization, referrals, admissions, discharges and outcomes.
The idea comes as Douglas County’s crisis system has been under financial strain. Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center sought $1 million in county support for Treatment & Recovery Center operations in December 2025, and commissioners later approved $700,000 to cover a shortfall for 2026. The county has also been working through opioid-settlement and alcohol-tax funding decisions after public health officials warned last year of a surge in suspected opioid overdoses, including 33 identified by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in eastern Kansas over two months and an above-average spike in emergency department visits tied to Douglas County.
State guidance from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services defines social detoxification as short-term care, usually less than seven days, with 24-hour supervision, observation and support. It distinguishes acute detoxification as care for more severe withdrawal that requires primary medical and nursing services. Douglas County built its current crisis network over several years, starting with the 2019 Treatment and Recovery Campus and later adding The Cottages at Green Lake, Transitions and the Treatment & Recovery Center. Commissioners did not vote Tuesday; if they support the concept, staff said they would negotiate a formal contract and return with an agreement in July.
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