Serenity House-Crisis Stabilization and Respite Center
After much preliminary discussions and meetings with community stakeholders I am pleased to announce that today we have officially started planning for the renovation of the building on the corner of Hacienda Ave. and 37th on the Health System Campus into a crisis residential/respite center. Working with HGA inc., the Department of Public Works, and Healthrite 360 I am hopeful that we will open Serenity House within the next twelve months.
The overarching goals of Serenity House are to provide a safe and welcoming environment for adults experiencing a crisis, provide assessment, treatment and recovery supports in order to re-stabilize the individuals situation, and facilitate their return to their home and community.
Currently a major gap in our crisis response system is the lack of an alternative to psychiatric emergency services or jail for adults experiencing a significant crisis due in part to their mental health status. Serenity House will go a long way towards filling that gap. As planned the center will house a maximum of 10 adults with an anticipated length of stay of 10 days. The program will combine clinical services provided by a psychiatrist and case managers as well as peer oriented services and supports by employing consumers and family members. All staff will have competency in addressing both mental health and substance use issues. In addition to attending the needs of the individual in crisis, Serenity House will also offer education and support to family members.
As our progress continues we will update this posting. Stay tuned!!!