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New Community Mental Health building soon to be a reality

Hastings Banner, The (MI) - 5/26/2016

The staff and clients of Barry County Community Mental Health Authority soon will be able to move into a new and much-needed spacious building, thanks to a $3.72 low-interest loan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Fund.

BCCMHA staff, board members and other officials, including representatives from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. offices, attended Friday's groundbreaking ceremony at 500 Barfield Drive, Hastings.

Frederick Construction of Vicksburg, Mich. will construct the building for the low qualified bid of $3.061 million. Schley Architects of Kalamazoo designed the 22,000-square foot building, which is circular at one end and lets in lots of sunlight without compromising client safety or confidentiality.

BCCMHA clinical specialist Duane Secord, who led the ceremony, spoke about the agency's need for its own space. The agency is currently housed in the Spectrum Health Pennock building, and staff often struggle to find private rooms to meet with clients.

"The need for this building has been present for a long time," he said, adding that in 2014, the agency had no choice but to open a second clinic to accommodate the growing number of clients and staff members.

Secord said mental health and substance abuse services were merged in 2008 to allow clients to have more efficient access to services.

BCCMHA Executive Director Jan McLean said the agency has expanded its services, and therefore its staff. She said the agency has about 2,400 clients in the course of a fiscal year and 85 employees.

McLean said there has been an increase in clients in several different programs, particularly those that serve people with autism and substance abuse disorders. Both Secord and McLean said staff have difficulty finding spaces to meet with clients, making it necessary for the agency to have its own building.

Schley Architects vice president Kris Nelson spoke about the design elements of the building, including the circular element at one end and the attention paid to preserving security and confidentiality. He said that the wetlands on the site will be maintained.

"Let this building symbolize the character of the work that will be done in this building," he said.

The USDA Rural Development Fund makes these loans available to help sustain strong development in rural areas, said USDA State Director James J. Turner.

"This project is going to ripple through town," he said of the economic impact of the new building.

"More important is the services it's going to provide," he continued.

Mary Judnich, regional manager for Stabenow, spoke of the senator's long-time commitment to mental health services.

"Advocating for mental health is a great passion of hers," she said. "While this building is wonderful, it's the people in the building that is critical to the people who need the care."

The agency provides a number of services for people, and fees are charged based on the ability to pay. No one is refused services if he or she is unable to pay.

Services include outpatient therapy, emergency crisis services, psychiatric services, respite services for families who take care of a person with developmental disabilities or a child with emotional disabilities, community living supports, and more.

More information is available by calling the clinical service site at 269-948-8041 or at www.barrycountyrecovery.com. The after-hours number is 800-873-0511 and the crisis line is 269-948-8041.

Angela Baranski is a reporter for the Hastings Banner. Email her at [email protected].