The Community Foundation first began supporting substance abuse issues in 2002 with a small grant to La Crosse Country Drug Court for drug testing kits.  Two years later, the Foundation awarded a grant to the Mental Health Coalition of the Greater La Crosse Area and became highly involved in advocacy groups and task forces addressing substance abuse issues in La Crosse and West Central Wisconsin.

"Members of our community have been voicing their interest in developing a social detox and crisis center for many years now, especially with the drowning deaths of eight men in the Mississippi River over the past 13 years," explained Sheila Garrity, Executive Director of La Crosse Community Foundation. "Through the Crisis Assessment, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Project, the community's calls for action have finally been answered." 

In January 2009, La Crosse Community Foundation representatives met with the CARE Project, which coordinated with other advocacy groups, including law enforcement, to form a Crisis Center for individuals with mental health and AODA needs.  The Community Foundation granted $42,790 to the CARE Project and its partners, La Crosse County in conjunction with Tellurian, to cover start-up and facility costs.  The Center is set to open its doors in February 2010.  

 

The Project began as a community-wide effort to improve the mental health and substance abuse crisis system for adults in West Central Wisconsin. The Project's components include:

·         A mental health crisis and social detox center in La Crosse, a short-term residential center for individuals whose conditions do not require hospitalization.

·         A stronger network of community-based services and support to help individuals who need assistance with mental health and substance abuse issues moving toward recovery.

·         A collaborative, multiagency effort to provide non-emergency mental health and substance abuse crisis services in west central Wisconsin.

"The Center will provide timely intervention for people who need a safe place to go before a mental health or substance abuse crisis escalates into a medical emergency," said CARE Project Manager Melissa Gilbert. "We thank the Community Foundation for sharing a common vision of improving local crisis services and fostering individuals' long-term stability and recovery in the process."

The Center will serve as an alternate option for those who would otherwise be taken to the hospital or to jail.  Not only will this allow the individuals to get help, but it will serve as an excellent resource for the entire community.