McLeod Center’s History

1969— Dr. Jonnie H. McLeod begins Open House, a drop-in counseling center located in the basement of a local YMCA.  Run with the help of volunteers, Open House contains a 24-hour help line and serves as a safe place for addicted persons to sleep off their intoxications.

1971—Open House receives a NIDA grant, enabling the creation of a Therapeutic Community center, an Intake office, an Outpatient Services center and a Methadone Clinic.  With facilities located throughout Charlotte, Open House could now treat a greater number of clients with individualized services.       

The Open House Board of Trustees is created to aid in the leadership and governing of Open House staff, profit and funding.

1972—John Allen becomes the first Executive Director of Open House

1973—TASC (Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes) is created using Federal funding as a Case Management program.  Today, TASC and the Criminal Justice program manage 1,200-1,400 caseloads at any given time, significantly decreasing the burden on the court system.

1980—The Therapeutic Community Center on Morehead Avenue burns down, sparking an investigation into the practices of Open House.  Faced with negative publicity and talk of shutting down, Open House undergoes a serious crisis of survival and must renew the obligations to the client and community through major changes in practices.

1981—Gene Hall becomes the Executive Director of Open House, impressing upon the staff the importance of professionalism, consistency and respect when dealing with clients.

As theories on addiction evolve, Gene Hall takes the once 18-month treatment program and over time scales the program to the current standard 28-day model.  Clients are required to pay a portion of their treatment costs, creating a sense of responsibility and ownership of the addiction.

1982—Open House establishes the motto “People Get Well at Open House,” which solidifies the new attitude of respect and honor to all clients and staff.

McLeod Center now offers a wide array of services including Day Treatment, Outpatient and residential care, and a fully accredited on-site Charlotte-Mecklenburg school.

1983—All Open House services are relocated to the present location at 145 Remount Road. 

1987—McLeod is approached about offering services in Black Mountain Center.  The Black Mountain Center becomes McLeod Center West, a 20-bed residential treatment center.  The program experiences immediate success and is later taken over by Blue Ridge Mental Health Authority.  The program is eventually dismantled in 2006.

1988—Continuation Place is built.  The success of the 20-bed adolescent dormitory was due in part to the support and fundraising of the Junior League of Charlotte, NC.

1991— The McLeod Residential Center opens.  The two-story adult dormitory allowed Open House to expand services while continuing to provide the highest quality care and treatment.

TASC expands services to include Drug Court, Case Management and Drug Treatment services

1992—Professional Training Series begins as a way to train and certify Open House staff.  The Training Series is now in its fifteen  year and has assisted over 18,000 professionals gain certification without charging a dime.

1993—Open House becomes the first Addictive Disease program in North Carolina to be accredited by the Commission of the Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities.  (CARF)  At the same time, the Open House Narcotic Treatment Clinic becomes the first Methadone Treatment program in the United States to be accredited by CARF.

1994—On April 27 Open House Counseling Service Inc. officially becomes the McLeod Addictive Disease Center, Inc. in honor of Dr. Jonnie McLeod.  Dr. McLeod, founder, through her life has continued to champion the causes and ideals of McLeod Center and is a strong advocate for drug and alcohol treatment in the Carolinas

1995—McLeod Addictive Disease Center opens a second methadone clinic in Gastonia, NC.  Based on appeals from clients unable to make the journey to the Charlotte clinic, Gastonia opens with 43 Clients. 

1998—The TASC department becomes a part of McLeod Center’s Criminal Justice Services and branches out to include Criminal Justice services such as Drug Education, CBI classes and DWI classes.  

2000—Working to ensure quality care with the client in mind, McLeod Center opens up a third methadone clinic in Hickory, NC. 

Seeing a need without funding, McLeod begins working with the Charlotte Mecklenburg County Police Department to set up McLeod Academy.  The McLeod Academy targets street-level prostitutes with addictive diseases, offering treatment, drug testing, case management and life skills training.

2001—McLeod Center opens up a fourth clinic in Boone, NC.  This clinic was opened due to concerns for the clients driving over the mountain to the Hickory Clinic. 

2003—In January, McLeod Center opens a clinic in Concord, NC in response to client demand. This clinic was built to ease the client load in Charlotte and following the I-85 corridor north of Charlotte. In May, McLeod Center opens up a sixth clinic in Marion, NC to assist clients from McDowell and Burke Counties

2005—McLeod opens up clinics in Statesville and Monroe.   McLeod Center’s 8 clinics make the largest Methadone Treatment program in North and South Carolina, serving close to 3,000 clients a week.

2006—In April 2006 McLeod Center enters into contracts with Marion and Gaston Country to provide Jail-based Inpatient treatment for Methamphetamine addicted clients.

In August, McLeod Center buys a building on 515 Clanton Rd, Charlotte, NC.  The building will be completely renovated with spacious group rooms, a conference center with state-of-the-art technical equipment for professional trainings, and an in-house food service and dining room.  Professional Trainings will begin at the new home on January 26th, 2007.