Three cheers for our July 2023 grantees Wellfully and Journey On! These organizations serve some of our most vulnerable community members. Learn more about these incredible programs and what they plan to do with our investment.
Wellfully
$305,000 for one year to continue the Adolescent Crisis Care Center at Wellfully.
Wellfully in their own words:
We provide health, recovery and developmental services to all adolescent youth. We serve youth between the ages of 10 and 18 who have significant mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral challenges. These youth need our support to safely function in their homes, schools, and our community. Through Wellfully’s high quality residential, afterschool and emergency services, youth develop effective coping skills, make better life choices, and receive ongoing support for a successful future.
About the Grant
This grant supports our crisis care services, available 24-7 for youth. This outpatient, voluntary, walk-in center provides screening, assessments, observations, de-escalation and stabilization to youth in crisis in a culturally appropriate way. The center provides an easy access point to receive emergency services at an appropriate level of care for youth that are suicidal or in crisis in a trauma informed way. This request will assist with operating expenses for the center located at Wellfully. Our center is a walk-in facility. We provide easy access to supports other than utilizing the emergency department – which can be more difficult for the youth and or guardian. Through this new access point, a youth receives streamlined care and a stabilization plan is developed. Through our case management we connect youth to various resources in the community, we address underlying needs while keeping them safe. This center effectively supports teens in crisis or considering suicide.
Journey On
$100,000 for a dedicated medical and recovery transportation team and vehicle
Journey On in their own words:
We work with individuals who are houseless or at risk of becoming houseless who could benefit from supportive interactions with credible messengers who understand their challenges. We provide human-to-human contact when conducting daily proactive outreach six days per week to establish relationships with our relatives on the street, distributing basic necessities of food and water, clothing, blankets, hygiene products, and personal protective equipment. In our outreach efforts we assess service-ready individuals, provide and facilitate service referrals, and offer transportation to safe locations in the community as well as getting our houseless relatives to medical appointments and court appearances. We are also part of Rapid City’s Co-Response Program, responding to 911 and non-emergent calls through Pennington County ESCC for crisis intervention, intoxicated individuals, unwanted individuals, and welfare checks under contract with the City for 2022 and 2023.
About the Grant
We understand transportation is a significant barrier to accessing needed health care, substance recovery and mental health services to sustain a person’s journey to stabilization. With this grant we will eliminate a persistent barrier to those experiencing the most severe version of poverty & the homeless — those who cannot receive medical & behavioral care because they cannot physically access related services even when they may have financial support for those services. These calls amounted to approximately 30% of our overall calls for service in 2022.
