Community Alliance has been working to improve mental health in Omaha since 1981. This month, the center will open its new mental health center. The facility is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center, a federal model aimed at facilitating access to mental health resources. “Today, we understand that mental illness does not mean a life of disability and dependency,” said Carol Boye, CEO of Community Alliance. It will officially open its doors to patients on June 27. “Once it opens its doors to clients, this building will be a cornerstone that will be a foundation of a community that supports individuals with mental health needs,” said Rhoda Hawks, president of the Hawks Foundation. It’s been a long road to get here, but everyone at Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting said they recognized how much the center was needed. “We are clearly facing a mental health crisis,” said Gov. Jim Pillen. “Ask any sheriff in any of our 93 counties and they will tell you they are overwhelmed by the need to support families in a mental health crisis.” The facility was made possible by a bill from state Sen. Anna Wishart. The group pushed for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics legislation in Nebraska. The bill received support from the governor and other state senators. “We’d never had a Republican governor testify at a hearing for a Democratic priority bill, but what Senator Wishart proposed was right, so I said, ‘It’s time to do it,'” Pillen said. After the bill passed, the project got $10 million in ARPA funds. Donations also helped pay for construction. The center cost $67 million in total. Besides counseling and crisis care, the facility also has space for a fitness area, a pharmacy and a dental clinic. “We want to treat the individual holistically and provide not only the mental health care people need, but also the physical health care,” the tour guide said. From physical health to mental health, the Community Alliance reminds people that all it takes is asking. “It takes courage to ask for help and to accept help,” Boye said. “We welcome you and we support you.”
Community Alliance has been working to improve mental health in Omaha since 1981. This month, the organization is opening a new mental health center, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center, a federal model aimed at facilitating access to mental health resources.
“Today, we understand that mental illness does not mean a life of disability and dependency,” said Carol Boye, CEO of the Community Alliance.
The facility will officially begin accepting patients on June 27th.
“Once it opens its doors to users, this building will become a cornerstone of our community support for those with mental health needs,” said Rhoda Hawkes, chair of the Hawkes Foundation.
It’s been a long journey to get to this point, but everyone at Wednesday’s grand opening said they knew how needed the center was.
“We are clearly facing a mental health crisis,” Gov. Jim Pillen said. “Ask any sheriff in all 93 counties and they will tell you they are overwhelmed with the need to help families experiencing a mental health crisis.”
The facility was made possible through a bill from State Senator Anna Wishart that would have pushed for the creation of certified community behavioral health clinics in Nebraska, a bill that was supported by the governor and other state senators.
“We’ve never had a Republican governor testify at a hearing on a Democratic priority bill before, but I said, ‘That’s what’s going to happen now,’ because what Senator Wishart proposed was correct,” Pillen said.
After the bill was passed, the project received $10 million in ARPA funds. Donations also helped pay for the construction. The total cost of building the center was $67 million.
In addition to counseling and crisis management, the facility will also have space for a fitness area, a pharmacy and a dental clinic.
“We want to treat the individual holistically and provide the mental health care that people need as well as the physical health care,” the tour guide said.
From physical health to mental health, the Community Alliance reminds people that all it takes is asking.
“It takes courage to ask for help and to accept help,” Boyer said. “We welcome you and we support you.”
