Sigma House, Inc., is a not-for-profit, full-spectrum drug and alcohol rehabilitation center located at 800 South Park Avenue in west-central Springfield, Missouri. Under its corporate umbrella are three additional treatment centers in Southwest Missouri.
The need for a substance abuse and addiction treatment center in southwest Missouri was identified in 1976. The Springfield Area Council of Churches began fundraising for the center with a goal of $30,000.
The area’s first addiction treatment center, Sigma House, was opened May 3, 1977 with a modified medical detoxification unit (the first in the state) and the volunteer services of Dr. Betty Troxil.
In the first 19 months, Sigma House provided 1,150 units of treatment. Staff began volunteering their time to provide outpatient and family counseling.
Cash flow struggles were ongoing until 1981, when the state cut all contracts by 40 percent with 10 days notice. A public appeal for $30,000 was more than successful. It resulted in $60,000.
Sigma House opened a new facility designed specifically for the provision of substance abuse rehabilitation services at 800 South Park Avenue on November 16, 1990.
The Shepherd of the Hills Recovery Foundation opened Tri-Lakes Sigma House in April 1991 in Branson. The facility, like Sigma House, is owned by the Springfield Area Council of Churches. The Council of Churches owns the land and buildings; however, it is not involved in the Board of Directors and has no jurisdiction over the operation of the recovery centers.
Land on Rinehart Road was donated by the Herschend Family of Branson. A cash donation from Bill and Janet Dailey of Branson provided the building. The facility was renamed the Larry Simmering Recovery Center in 2001 in recognition of a deceased benefactor. The Simmering Center remains the only facility of its type in the Branson/Lakes Area.
Funding sources were diversified in 1990-1991. Active pursuit of insurance and private pay sources, expansion into federal corrections contracts, and the Medicaid-funded CSTAR program resulted.
In 1993, Sigma House began using the “continuum of care” community-based treatment model, as well as the traditional model. The result was comprehensive quality rehabilitation services in a cost-effective manner.
Sigma House began providing services for the Missouri Department of Corrections in 1995 in a program focused on repeat offenders. In one year, the program provided services to 372 high-risk individuals with a 50-percent success rate of completion of a six-month rehabilitation program.
Sigma House began providing services in 1998 to the Greene County Drug Court program.
Drug court programs were begun in Christian, Taney and Stone Counties in 1999 with Sigma House and Larry Simmering Recovery Center actively involved in staffing and support.
Addiction Free Life Center, LLC, 1016 W. Battlefield, Springfield, was established in 2006 to address and treat the needs of the Federal Bureau of Prisons referrals. Eight staff members provide out-patient services.
“The Breadbox” at 204 North Main Street in Nixa was leased in 2007 to provide meeting space for Christian County Drug Treatment Court clients. The former bread store and post office was more formally named Sigma House Central Recovery Center in mid-2010.
In 2010, the CSTAR program was reintroduced to make addiction recovery services more readily available to Medicaid-qualifying outpatient clients. The CSTAR program was moved in mid-year to the Nixa location.
Other gradual changes at the residential centers are a consistent 16-bed limit per location with four additional beds to serve priority populations, such as veterans, clients reentering the community after incarceration, and drug court clients. Detoxification unit beds are counted separately from the regular and priority residential population.
In addition to government-funded programs such as Primary Recovery Plus (PR+), the recovery centers accept payment from Employee Assistance Programs and private payment.
Sigma House and the Larry Simmering Recovery Center and the satellite offices remain committed to providing quality care to anyone needing rehabilitation services, without regard for ability to pay.
Service contracts with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse provide a significant source of funding for the recovery centers. Other revenue is derived from federal substance abuse rehabilitation programs, courts system programs and local government .
Sigma House and affiliates actively seek project and program sponsors and corporate and private donations to offset expenses not covered by service contracts. Donations are tax-deductible. Information about donating to the recovery centers is available by contacting any of the facilities.