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SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – Faith and community leaders are holding a press conference Tuesday morning ahead of the St. Joe County Commissioners meeting to demand the implementation of a mental health crisis response center.
The county council recently approved roughly $ 2.7 million of American Rescue Plan money for the center.
Now commissioners need to sign off on a contract with Oaklawn before the end of the year.
But, as 16 News Now found out, this was taken off Tuesday’s agenda.
The question is, why?
Beacon, Oaklawn, the health department, and other city and county leaders have been working together to make this happen, and are afraid they will now have to start the process over.
“We’ve listened, we’ve come to an agreement together, and so it’s discouraging now to be moving backwards and not being able to make progress…We believe that all people deserve a compassionate and caring community and we value that as followers of Jesus Christ, as members of a community, as part of faith in St. Joseph County…treat people with dignity,” said Pastor of Broadway Christian Parish United Methodist Church Carl Hetler.
Community leaders say mental health touches all of us.
“Mental health impacts us all. My family had an experience with needing mental health services. One of my children attempted suicide…So, by investing in this center we are not only caring for those right now who are vulnerable but we are caring for one another because we never know when we are going to be that person in need,” said Hetler.
Meantime, we reached out to the county commissioners to ask them why it was taken off the agenda, but never heard back.
Faith in Indiana is holding the press conference at 9:30 a.m. in the lobby of the County-City Building.
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