$4.9M grant to fund new addiction, mental health facility in Kokomo

Dec. 21—A $4.9 million grant is set to fund a new facility in Kokomo that offers housing and treatment for those suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues and offers an alternative to jail or the emergency room.

The facility is called a Drop-In Engagement Center, and the grant was awarded to the Community Foundation Serving Howard, Clinton and Carroll Counties by the Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow.

Foundation President Greg Aaron announced the project Friday during a press conference. He said Lilly awarded the funding after the foundation completed a more than 40-page application detailing their plans for the drop-in center.

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 Kokomo will be administered by Turning Point Systems of Care, a local nonprofit founded in 2018 to help fight the opioid crisis and connect people struggling with addiction to the right services for treatment.

Paul Wyman, a Howard County commissioner and board chair of Turning Point, said they are looking at establishing the facility somewhere in downtown Kokomo. The center will likely have around 12 beds, and have a staff of medical providers, supervisors and those who can direct and connect people to the best services.

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 Clinton and Carroll counties to provide vital services for those affected by addiction and other mental health challenges, according to a release from Lilly Endowment Inc.

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 Community Foundation was one of only 11 in the state to receive large-scale grants from Lilly, which offered in total more than $33 million through a competitive grant program.

Wyman said the $4.9 million local grant will help the city and county continue its mission of providing care to those battling addiction or mental health problems.

"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."

Carson Gerber can be reached at 765-854-6739, carson.gerber@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter @carsongerber1.

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