Bernalillo County Detention Center

Albuquerque Metropolitan Community Sobering Services
126 General Chennault N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87123
June 27, 2001

Dear Hospitals, ED physicians, Nurse Managers, APD, BCSO, AAS, AFD, BCFD, and all other primary or adjunct services:

We are quickly approaching the successful end of our pilot program. We are looking forward to expansion and change after July 1st but it will be business as usual until the changes are fully implemented. We will keep the facility on Gen. Chennault, and will update you if we are able to procure another, larger facility as well. Please keep the following in mind when assessing whether or not a patient would be a candidate for Sobering Services:

• The detox facility has 20 male beds and 5 female beds. We operate 24 hours a day seven days a week. We will use the EMSystem to update our bed availability.
  
  
• The program is a social detox which means there are no medical staff or medical services available on site. 911 WILL BE USED TO ACTIVATE EMS/POLICE FOR ALL EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
  
  
• EMS Protocols (as developed by the Medical Control Board) will be followed. These protocols are fairly conservative, and some “detox clients” will go to the ED’s. The role of the ED’s is to medically clear clients. Sobering Services has its own van available for transport. You can activate the van by calling Sobering Services and we will transport the client.
  
  
• Dual-diagnosis and other clients exhibiting psychosis and other mental illness symptoms who are unable to cooperate and participate in our program will be referred to UNM Mental Health.
  
  
• Our admission criteria is as follows:
  
  
  • Intoxicated individuals must be conscious, cooperative, nonviolent, and free from any medical distress.
    
    
  • All clients must be at least 18 years of age.
    
    
  • The individual must be able to walk unassisted.
    
    
  • There should be no apparent underlying injuries:
    
    
  1. Bleeding from a head injury.
     
     
  2. Dried blood, specifically from the nose, mouth, ears, etc.
     
     
• Average length of stay is 1-3 days with a maximum of 5 days if being placed in a longer-term treatment facility.
  
  
• Please contact Sobering Services prior to admission to confirm that a bed is available. To curb jail overpopulation please take public inebriates to Sobering Services. We are unable to pick up or drop off individuals at their residence.
  
  
• ED’s once the individual is medically cleared; call and we will transport the individual.
  
  
• If the individual needs medication, please make sure they have a prescription that will last for at least 5-7 days.
  
  

IN THE SPIRIT OF RECOVERY
Lori Davis, BA, LADAC, DAPA Facility Manager
Main number: 275-8730

Linda Daney, MA, LPCC, LADAC Program Director
Main number: 764-3536

Our admission criteria.