The Courage Center expands addiction services into Richland County

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — The Courage Center began by helping one Midlands family and has now helped many others.

“We started out focused on young folks and their families and have grown from there. We have a facility in Lexington but we knew we needed to be in other communities,” said Randy Rush, The Courage Center’s executive director. 

Thursday, The Courage Center celebrated the opening of a new location on Broad River Road in Columbia.

The organization provides services to people on the road to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. 

“When you go to in-patient treatment, they kind of cut you open and then send you back out,” Rush said. “We try to come in and walk along beside you. Do you have a job? Do you have insurance? Do you have housing?”

The Courage Center helps people develop a recovery plan tailored to them alongside professionals and peer support coaches. 

“People want a different life but they don’t know how to start or go about it. You need to have someone alongside you that was where you were,” said the executive director. “We have a coach that has overdosed 14 times. He can say ‘I was exactly where you were and look at my life. I’ll help you.’ That’s life changing.”

“I think that’s what makes a big difference,” said Columbia mayor Daniel Rickenmann. “You are working with people who have been there. I think that’s worth more than anything else.”

Rickenmann believes that drug addiction is a cause of a lot of the homelessness in Columbia. 

“I think organizations like this are key to that,” the mayor said. “There’s not enough organizations at the state level to help us with all of the problems that are out there.”

The Courage Center’s services range from therapy to medication assisted treatment and are provided at no cost. 

“What do you have to lose? Give us a call. There is hope in recovery, Rush said. “People do and can recover all the time.”

For more information, check out their website here.