What a difference vision makes.
In 2022, the Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board cited bleak statistics – Ohio ranked 38th in the nation for higher prevalence of adults with mental illness yet lower rates of access to care; and that 21% of Franklin County residents had a mental health emergency once a year. Combined with the increasing rates of drug and alcohol addiction, the state of crisis care in our community was not strong.
But, ADAMH, in tandem with stakeholders, elected officials, hospital administrators, nonprofit providers, and community leaders knew something had to change. They began meeting together to plan and envision how crisis care could be – should be – different.
Today is a celebration as the community cuts the ribbon on the Franklin County Crisis Care Center, which will be that warm place for anyone to go at any hour on any day.
There is no wrong door, and the design of the building means those who enter will only walk forward, never backtracking their steps, which is what crises can often feel like – a complicated journey with no end in sight.
The Crisis Care Center staff includes highly trained peers, who understand deeply what it is like to be in crisis, and the furniture is designed more like a living room than a clinical exam room. The intentionality of the space and how it will operate, and the breadth of community engagement, will have an immediate impact on the health and wellbeing of our community.
The entire Mollard Consulting team is proud to have partnered with Erika Clark Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Shelly Hoffman, and everyone at ADAMH on the fundraising needed to complete the $60 million-plus Crisis Care Center. While we value every campaign we work on, this one had extra meaning because of the stories and impact on people’s lives.
Every donor conversation, every planning meeting, every encounter on this project brought the statistics to life. It’s one thing to consider the prevalence of mental illness in our community, it’s another to have a donor say, “let me tell you about…” or to see a donor become emotional when they realize the impact their gift will have.
We are proud to call ADAMH a client. We are prouder still to have been on the journey of bringing vision to life, hope to those in crisis, and healing to all who enter the doors of new center.
Congratulations to all.
