Klamath Falls, Ore. – Construction on a ‘Sobering Center’ in Klamath Falls could get started within the next few months.
Stan Gilbert of Klamath Basin Behavioral Health says the sobering station would have 8 beds. He called the center, “A safe, secure place for folks who are under the influence, can sleep off their inebriation.”
Fire Chief John Spradley says the facility provides a needed option for dealing with a person under the influence. “Who doesn’t meet the criteria for transport to the hospital, the person who doesn’t meet the criteria to be placed into custody.”
Tom Hottman of Sky Lakes Medical Center says the facility could also play a role in helping those with drug or alcohol problems. “There is the potential of having follow-on treatment, that can help the individual in a longer-lasting way.”
The sobering station will be constructed on the ‘Klamath Works’ campus, which is being developed near the South Sixth Street overpass.
Construction costs are estimated at about $750,000.
Nearly half a million dollars in funding for the sobering center has been made by the Oregon Health Authority, Sky Lakes Medical Center, and Klamath County.
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