Community leaders from across the valley raised shovels today to officially break ground on the long-awaited Substance Abuse and Mental Health Crisis Center at 320 North Allumbaugh Street in Boise. The new facility is scheduled to open its doors March 1, 2010.
During a press conference at the construction site, Ada County Commission Chairman Fred Tilman also announced that Terry Reilly Health Services had been awarded the operations contract for the new facility.
“After years of constructive conversation, I’m proud to announce that we now have construction – and as important as conversation can be, in this case construction is what is needed,” Mayor David Bieter said. “The ground we break today represents a new and necessary addition to our services – not only for those in need in our community, but also for taxpayers who expect those services to be delivered in a cost-effective manner.”
Ada County Commission Chairman Fred Tilman added, “The cost of not intervening early is staggering and places an extreme burden on taxpayer dollars. Without assistance, these individuals often find themselves in the legal system because their addictions have spiraled out of control. Our goal for this new crisis center is to provide help those who need it before their problems ever reach the point where they find themselves behind bars.”
“This facility is going to benefit all of our agencies and taxpayers, but more importantly, it is going to help the people who struggle with co-occurring disorders, both mental illness and substance abuse addictions,” said Richard Armstrong, Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. “This innovative and unique facility is going to give people a real chance for recovery, which many have not had before. It gives us great hope, which is the catalyst for recovery and leads to a brighter future.”
“The City of Meridian’s participation is critical as part of this public/private partnership; offering hope and opportunity to families and those in need throughout Ada County and beyond,” said Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd. “With partners such as the United Way of Treasure Valley, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, and many more, our entire community is positioned to continue the efforts to fight substance abuse with a needed service.”
“More than 17,000 people in the valley struggle with at least one chemical addiction,” Eagle Mayor Phil Bandy said. “Private medical providers currently turn away 335 people a month who voluntarily seek treatment due to lack of resources. This crisis center will help fill the gap, in turn yielding a cost savings to state and local governments at the same time.”
Terry Reilly Health Services executive director Timothy Brown expressed his organization’s gratitude for being selected. “The employees of Terry Reilly Health Services are honored to have been selected to operate this new facility. We look forward to building and growing partnerships with all of the parties that have worked so tirelessly to advance this project in order to meet a critical need in our community.”
The detox center project is a direct outgrowth of Mayor Bieter’s 2005 Regional Summit on Detoxification Services, which examined the need for substance abuse sobering and detox facilities in the Treasure Valley and led to creation of a 16-member Community Detox Steering Committee. The committee established a Working Group that has spent more than three years assembling a valley-wide coalition of public and private entities, examining best practices from around the country, drafting operations and funding plans, and identifying financing opportunities.
The 9,200-square-foot facility will extend emergency sobering services, detoxification services, and mental health crisis services to Boise Valley residents in need. The facility is planned to provide a sobering station, 12 beds for detoxification and eight beds for mental health crisis. Construction cost of the facility is estimated at $2.7 million, with an annual operating budget of $1.8 million. The facility will be owned and maintained by the Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority.
Other funding partners include United Way of Treasure Valley, Region IV Mental Health Board, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, and the Community Detox Coalition. Additional construction funding was provided through federal funds brought home by Idaho’s Congressional Delegation.
Terry Reilly Health Services is a community based non-profit corporation dedicated to providing quality, comprehensive health care.
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