Greenfield will be the site of the first branch out of the addiction counseling services of Chillicothe’s Friel & Associates, and it is set to open no later than May 1.

According to Patricia Friel, who opened Friel & Associates in Chillicothe in 2011, the outpatient services offered will include intensive outpatient groups, substance abuse education groups, relapse prevention groups, after-care groups, individual counseling, crisis intervention, and case management.

The Greenfield branch will be housed at 1020 Jefferson St., Friel said, and the opening could happen before May 1 as work is progressing at the site and she said it will be ready for inspections soon.

The company’s mission statement as listed on its website is: “to provide the people with quality outpatient addiction services in an environment that is safe, comfortable and conducive to recovery.”

“We are abstinence based and strive to holistically assess and treat clients in order to reduce relapse risk through healthy and productive lifestyles,” the website says. “We believe every life is capable of change and it’s never too late to make those changes.”

The choice to open a branch in Greenfield, Friel said, was to fill a need in the community that was first brought to her attention by a staff member who lived in Greenfield. Friel said speaking to local officials highlighted the need as well.

The counseling center works with the courts and Children Services agencies, and accepts walk-in referrals. The Greenfield branch will be no different. Friel said that by working together with other local agencies there has been “excellent success.”

“It takes everybody working together,” she said, to combat the addiction issues that have left no community untouched.

When the Greenfield branch opens the initial hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The days and hours will expand as needed, she said.

She said the counselors that will staff the Greenfield branch all have not only master’s degrees, but “several years of experience” in substance abuse counseling.

The move to Greenfield is not to be in competition with other area agencies, Friel said, but to answer a need where it was needed.

“We are excited to hopefully be a part of the solution” to the addiction issues faced in the Greenfield area, she said.

For more information go to frielandassociates.com or call the main office in Chillicothe at 740-851-4432.

Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.