Photo: Michael McCallum, Outpatient Coordinator inside the Southaven location of the Oxford Treatment Center. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
In 2022, DeSoto County reported the second-highest number of overdose deaths in Mississippi, while Shelby County had the highest number of overdose deaths in Tennessee.
The Oxford Treatment Center’s new location on Church Road West in Southaven recently opened with designs to reduce that tragic trend. The outpatient office is the third location for the program which began as a residential program in Etta in January of 2012.
“That’s where we have more of our inpatient programs,” said Michael McCallum, the Southaven Outpatient Coordinator. “That’s where we offer medically managed detox, the equestrian therapies, and a lot of experimental therapies, such as art and music.”
The Southaven center offers community intensive outpatient programs, or IOPs, providing 10 hours of treatment weekly, including group and individual counseling. The center accepts major insurances and emphasizes follow-up care, including an alumni program and a peer support app. The center treats substance abuse and related mental health issues, catering to all age demographics and emphasizing family involvement.
McCallum said one of the reasons for the high numbers of substance abuse deaths in DeSoto and Shelby counties comes from its location as a transportation hub. He also feels a lot of the drugs in DeSoto County come down from across the state line.
“I just think there’s a lot of that type of drug coming from Shelby County into DeSoto County,” McCallum said. “That’s probably why you see DeSoto County so high and prevalent in Mississippi.”
Group therapy room
McCallum notes that the disease of addiction is becoming more prevalent, and people are more likely to seek treatment due to de-stigmatization efforts by treatment centers. Many people still do not receive the treatment they need, indicating a significant unmet need.
The center is part of American Addiction Centers, a national network of treatment centers.
The Community IOP Program offered by the Oxford Treatment Center in Southaven involves about nine hours of group counseling a week on three specific days. Each patient receives one individual session per week with a therapist for the other hour of weekly treatment.
McCallum said the success rate for the program is quite high.
“We really believe in the totality of the program, which I really enjoy,” he said. “I believe in our program and we include an alumni program, where we keep track of events and keep our patients involved. Follow up care is one of the largest predictors of success, I feel.”
The center primarily treats substance abuse, with secondary mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
McCallum comes to the Southaven center with seven years of experience with Oxford Treatment Center as a clinical therapist and family program coordinator. McCallum, who was born and raised in Memphis, says being able to be a part of the program in Southaven has him excited about being able to address the needs of the Mid-South.
“When they asked me to come down and be a part of this, it wasn’t a hard sell,” McCallum said.
The Oxford Treatment Center is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and is located at 1150 Church Road West in Southaven. For more information, the center’s website is www.oxfordtreatment.com
Oxford Treatment Center has been a community staple in Mississippi for more than a decade, serving over 11,000 patients with services ranging from medical detox and inpatient rehab to outpatient treatment and sober living.
