A number of organizations in Daviess County are looking to put together a place to provide answers for people with questions about help for substance abuse and mental health issues.
The project is being developed under a $1 million grant through Indiana University that will ultimately open a center where people can go and find answers called ‘the hub.’ “The hub is supposed to be in place at the end of the four-year federal grant. We are just now getting to the end of the first year. We eventually want to have a recovery hub, a recovery location where anyone or family member can go to get information on recovery or treatment can go,” said Diana Snyder, executive director for Daviess County Community Corrections, who is on the committee to establish the facility.
“We are talking about a single place where someone looking for assistance for recovery of substance abuse or mental health can go and get information to direct them to the right business, organization or group or counseling or treatment can have somebody answer their questions without having to go through a million different people.”
Currently, most people receiving those services are winding up there through interactions with law enforcement or the hospital. Part of the problem is that there is a hole in the system for people who voluntarily want help.
“Right now, no one knows where to turn for help. Most people are entering through the justice system or perhaps the hospital. This place will be somewhere people can walk in and ask for help without recourse or judgement of any kind and ask for help,” said Snyder. “We hope this building will be home for AA meetings or NA meetings there. It could also be a place where people could seek help for housing and jobs.”
Snyder says she also foresees the building becoming a home for the Peer-to-Peer Recovery services that has been initiated in the past year.
While the building may be badly needed, Snyder contends there are other priorities to get in place before getting a building and hanging a shingle.
“We would love to fast track it,” she said. “But right now, we are trying to build relationships within the community with organizations and providers to figure out how we can work best together.”
Snyder says there is also an effort underway to reach out and get the community to develop more acceptance for people who are struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues. Part of that will include a meeting Tuesday evening at Bethany Christian Church.
“We are looking to destigmatize the issues and make it ok for people to say they are struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues so they feel like they can reach out for help,” she said. “A lot of people right now won’t ask for help. We have to build trust so that when the hub is open that people will use it.”
Officials say they expect the money to be available for ‘the hub.’ It will though require working through a lot of attitudes to make it happen.
“We have to start with the small pieces,” said Snyder. “We are trying to identify places right now. I hope in three years we have this established in our community. I am confident we will get there.”
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