Delaware County breaks ground on mental health rehabilitation center
Delaware County has officially broke ground on a mental health rehabilitation center for the county, to be paired with the Justice Center. IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.
(Stephanie Wiechmann / IPR News)
Delaware County Commissioners had one goal for the federal COVID-era American Rescue Plan funds – to build a local in-patient center for mental health and substance use treatment.
As commissioner Shannon Henry puts it,“To be quite frank about it, I know there’s organizations that hand out Narcan. There’s organizations that hand out syringes. That’s not cutting it. We gotta do more. We gotta do more for our people. That’s why we’re here today.”
The $7.6 million facility is also receiving the first $2.5 million state grant from a program specifically for regional mental health facilities.
Being built on the former running track at what used to be Wilson Middle School and is now the Delaware County Justice Center, it will be able to house dozens of people. And commissioners say there are already plans for expansion for additional beds or possibly a juvenile wing.
Commissioner Sherry Riggin says while the plans are there, they hope not to use them.
“You know, I hope in 50 years that we don’t need it anymore. But who knows?”
Doug Huntsinger, who leads the Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder, says provisional 2023 overdose data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Indiana saw the second highest decrease in overdose deaths from the previous year in the nation.
Read More: Statewide program trains Indiana schools to spot drug overdoses, use naloxone
The county-run facility is different from what will be a Muncie-run Crisis Center for emergency mental health issues. That building on 8th Street is also being built using American Rescue Plan funds.
The city of Muncie did not respond to a question on when the Crisis Center will be operational.
Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host. Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.
