Trey Anastasio to Open Addiction Treatment Center in Vermont
Phish frontman Trey Anastasio’s charitable organization, the Divided Sky Foundation, has taken a step toward opening a non-profit facility to treat people suffering from alcoholism and addiction.
The organization purchased a house in Ludlow, Vermont, using funds raised during Anastasio’s eight-week virtual residency at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, which he called The Beacon Jams. Fans contributed more than $1.2 million during the event. The as-yet-unnamed center will tentatively open by the end of the year. Ascension Recovery Services, which manages addiction treatment centers around the country, will manage the venture.
“Substance use disorders affect people from all walks of life,” Anastasio said in a statement, “and the problem is intimately linked with isolation — whether that’s isolation due to the pandemic or for any other reason. The Beacon Jams helped us find a way to connect people and get this project off the ground. To be able to do that together during this difficult year touches my heart.”
Vermont ranks 11th in the country for overdoses but contains only four state-certified residential treatment centers. Anastasio’s center will serve people of all income levels. It aims to provide multiple ways for people to enter and maintain recovery through individualized plans and programs. It will offer job training and workforce reintegration and provide education and certification in skills and trades.
“Like so many people in America and so many in Vermont, I became addicted to opiates,” Anastasio said. “I was extremely lucky to have access to care, and I know how important it is to be part of a recovery community. I’m grateful that we can help provide that opportunity for others.”
Courtesy of the Divided Sky Foundation
Anastasio is now 14 years sober. He launched Divided Sky, which is still accepting donations, last year. He chose Vermont as the home base for the first center because it’s his adopted home state.
For other treatment centers around the country, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or call 1-800-622-4357.
