$4.9M grant to fund new addiction, mental health facility in Kokomo
Kokomo TribuneDec 21, 2020
Dec. 21—A
The facility is called a Drop-In Engagement Center, and the grant was awarded to the Community Foundation Serving Howard,
Foundation President
That application came after the foundation held more than 70 meetings with local leaders in all three counties to determine the biggest needs in each community.
"We needed to listen and not assume we know best," Aaron said. "We needed to build collaborative relationships that respond to the aspirations of the community."
And what they heard over and over was the need for a community facility to help those with substance abuse and mental health issues, he said.
Now, thanks to the grant, that's just what all three counties will get.
The center in
He said the purpose of the drop-in center is to provide immediate care and a safe place for people to detox and stabilize, rather than taking them to the jail or emergency room, which are often overcrowded and not the right place to receive help.
"Right now, law enforcement has two options: the emergency room or the jail," Wyman said. "There are many times where that isn't the right place for the people at that moment in their lives. This gives us another option and a tool that allows us to start working with them immediately through our navigation services and peer coaches."
Aaron said the facility will offer clients a supervised place to stay until the time they can enter formal treatment. That, in turn, will reduce the demand on emergency departments and reduce the number of incarcerations of individuals who need treatment but have not committed a crime.
Aaron said the center should be up and running in about 15 months.
The grant will also pay to establish satellite treatment locations in
Wyman said establishing regional campuses will go a long way in bolstering treatment in the tri-county region.
"Any time you can address addiction and mental health in a broader region, you're helping the community as a whole," he said. "Addiction and mental health issues don't know boundaries. It's a challenge we have everywhere."
The local
Wyman said the
"This gave us an opportunity to dream big and do a project on a scale that we know could have a significant impact for years to come in our community," he said. " ... We have sent a clear message that we are going to help those that are suffering with addiction and mental health. Our county is a place that cares about all people that are here."
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