Winchester treatment center offers ‘Insight’ into helping clients in Medford reach sobriety

They say every journey begins with a single step — and the staff at Insight Recovery Treatment Center in Winchester want to not only help you take that first step, but be there throughout the entire journey.

Owners Steven Kent, Jon Baer and Rich Trainor opened the center’s doors at 7 McKay Ave. in August 2024 with the intention of providing care and support to people working through the challenges of addiction.

“We were working on opening for a year prior to when we did,” Kent said, of the business. “We got our license and were established in Winchester by August. We’ve all been in recovery ourselves and we’ve been working in the addiction field because we’re very passionate about helping people.”

Kent said it’s important to raise awareness of available treatment options in the area. He said the center has been partnering with coalitions in Winchester, Woburn, Medford, Arlington and Stoneham to provide information and services for those in need.

“We wanted to be local,” Kent said. “There weren’t a lot of treatment centers in this area. I grew up in this area and saw a lot of people have trouble in their lives. That’s why I wanted to be in the area.”

But the demand for services has pushed the business to grow since its opening more than 10 months ago. Kent said this was always the next progression.

“Everything just aligned,” Kent said.

Baer said the ability to provide continued care was something clients asked for. He said many times there are other underlying needs, but clients have said they prefer not to go somewhere else and go through their whole story again and again. He said many have said they are comfortable at Insight Recovery.

The program

So how does it work?

Trainor, who is the center’s clinical director, said clients who come in are assessed and assigned either intensive outpatient therapy or day treatment. Clients are also assigned a therapist to work one-on-one with as well as attend group therapy sessions.

The two-to-three-month program is then reviewed every 30 days and adjusted as clients progress. Appropriate services and community resources are also recommended.

Trainor added clients can also meet with a psychiatric nurse practitioner, if they need medication.

With an increased demand for mental and behavioral health services, Trainor said the center applied for its license with the Department of Mental Health in January and February.

He said it took between five and six weeks for the application to be approved. The license was approved in March.

On Thursday, July 24, from 3:30-6:30 p.m., Insight Recovery will celebrate the opening of Insight Recovery Mental Health with a ribbon cutting, in partnership with the Winchester Chamber of Commerce.

Insight Recovery’s website for mental health is www.insightrecoverymh.com

More care, more space

Trainor added the idea is to provide a balanced healthcare plan for clients. With that in mind, the center has hired another clinician, a care manager and Greg Davenport, a community engagement specialist.

Davenport, like the owners, has also fought his own battle with substance abuse and come out on the other side.

He has run a homeless shelter, Daybreak Shelter, in Lawrence for a number of years before moving to Recovery Centers of America as a business development representative. From there, Davenport decided to get back to the ground floor of helping people and opened the Charles River Recovery in Weston.

Davenport said he had met Kent, Baer and Trainor along the way and when they came calling, he quit his job and joined them in Winchester.

“They are a great of people and they align with how I like to operate so it made a lot of sense,” he said. “This is a passion, a lifestyle. It’s really God’s work.”

Growing up in Burlington, Davenport said it’s nice to get back to his roots.

“It’s nice to be able to come back and work in the community,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to give back.”

Kent said with the hiring of more staff, it was time to add more offices. A meditation room, a calming center and a large group room for relaxing or therapy sessions, were also in the plan.

He said with the other side of the building, where the center is now, vacant, it was the perfect place to grow into.

“The layout was perfect,” Baer said, adding the rooms were the right size to provide privacy for clients and give staff their own space.

Kent said once the state license was approved, it was just a matter of negotiating with the building’s owners.

“We’re all about helping people, our model is still the same,” Kent said. “We are not going to turn people away. We try to find a spot for them.”

And, Baer said, it’s not just the clients who will receive help. The center has added a family meeting that takes place every Monday at 7 p.m.

Trainor said the meetings are mostly for families of current clients, but anyone who has someone suffering from substance abuse is more than welcome to attend.

“It’s important to provide education around treatment,” he said. “It’s important to set boundaries. Loved ones also struggle.”

Raising awareness

Over the past several years, it seems as if people have become more aware of addiction, overdoses and the global need for treatment.

“It’s worse than ever,” Baer said, of the drug epidemic. “There are a lot of issues people are bringing to light. But overdoses are worse, a real epidemic…and COVID made it 10 times worse. There’s more of a need than ever for treatment. Yes, it’s easier for people to come out and say they have a problem, but the problem is worse now than it’s ever been.”

Kent said people are definitely more than willing to help and yes, there is more awareness. But, he added, there is still a sense of stigma for those who are seeking treatment.

“There is more treatment available, but there are also more drugs out there,” Baer added. “There are a lot of new drugs.”

Mental health is also a huge issue, one that Trainor said has become a matter of supply and demand.

“There’s not a lot of supply,” Trainor said. “There are very limited resources.”

Kent added there are very long waitlists everywhere, which is one reason Insight Recovery got its mental health license.

“For us, it’s about establishing this [center] and giving the best possible treatment for people who come here,” Kent said. “Phase two is adding in mental health as part of our overall model. Our long-term goal is growth and have satellite locations where needed.”

Trainor added the center is still growing, but it’s important that clients who come are those who want to be in treatment.

Baer added the center is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. But it’s also open in the evenings and there’s a phone line that can be called for anyone needing help after hours.

“We want to be that point of contact for people,” Baer said. “Whether it’s during the day or at night, we want to help facilitate where they might need to go. We want to be a resource for the community. If someone has questions, we want to help them set up a treatment plan.”

Kent said all three founders have faced the challenges of addiction and treatment to reach sobriety. It’s not only how they met, but how they understand what their clients are facing.

“We have all gone through this and come out the other side,” Kent said. “We want to be that treatment resource for people. You know, I used to work construction and I never put in the energy into that that I put into this. It’s a passion! We are here to help!”

As for what the group decides to do next, Kent said they’re concentrating on growth and adding mental health resources for the moment.

“Nothing is set in stone,” Kent said. “Right now, we’ll concentrate on providing direct care to our clients.”

For more information or a confidential assessment, call 781-653-6598 or visit insightrecoverytc.com.