City Opens Wellness Village At Riverview
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Cherelle Parker and Philadelphia Managing Director Adam Thiel announced the opening of the Riverview Wellness Village which is touted as the final step in recovery. :This was impossible but we did it, ” Thiel said. “You are standing in it”, he added for emphasis. It is the ever growing 340 bed residence for people in recovery from substance abuse. “This is the final step” Mayor Parker said.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Managing Director Adam Thiel shows off a model of the proposed addition to the center.
When someone is arrested or approached for drug possession by city services they will be screened to determine if they have a criminal record. All warrants will be taken care of before entering this program. Once that is done, and the person has undergone drug treatment, they can come to Riverview.
Once there, it is a non custodial housing. unit that features things like primary healthcare, connections to substance use disorder services, chronic disease management, nutritional counseling, and mental and behavioral health support.
Residents will live in a dormitory setting, sleeping sometimes four to a room, other rooms will have two people The residents can call this place home for about a year.
During the opening ceremonies, Parker said she wants to build more units. which will cost money. “I put my ego aside and my pride aside, “I’ll go to the Trump/Vance Administration, I have met with Senator Dave McCormick and I’ve worked with the Fetterman Administration to get this done”, The new unit, built on top of this is expected to cost in the tens of millions of dollars.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com A look at the sleeping quarters inside Riverview.
“Building this has resulted in jobs”,Thiel said. The residents will learn trades, like culinary training, art therapy, community gardening, and employment support programs to help residents prepare for independent living. Community Integration Spaces: Recreational areas, fitness facilities, and opportunities for peer engagement and social support.
This site sits at 7979 State Road., right next to the prison complex. Inmates who have served their time or undergone treatment can be taken a few feet to the site.