Franklin County Crisis Center Receives $1 Million from Nationwide Foundation
Feb. 23, 2022
The Franklin County Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Center capital campaign gained an additional philanthropic partner with a $1 million gift from the Nationwide Foundation. With this gift, the $50 million capital project has raised $45.5 million in private and public sector support to build a centralized destination of care for adults with mental health and addiction crisis needs.
Led by the Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH), the crisis center reflects a community-wide investment to address the growing need for mental health and addiction crisis services. Franklin County is experiencing high fatal overdose and emergency hospitalization rates and it is estimated that Central Ohio will see a 23 percent increase in demand for mental health and addiction services over the next 10 years.
“We are grateful for the Nationwide Foundation’s continued investment in our community and thankful for the foundation’s ongoing leadership in addressing mental health and addiction challenges in Franklin County and across the state,” said ADAMH CEO Erika Clark Jones. “As this gift further demonstrates, enhancing the continuum of crisis care in Franklin County is a priority for the entire community.”
Other recent philanthropic gifts to support the construction of the crisis center include $2.5 million from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, $1 million from the Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation and $500,000 from The Columbus Foundation. Additional investments have been made by state government, county and city governments, and the adult hospital systems in Franklin County: Mount Carmel, OhioHealth and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Groundbreaking for the new crisis center is planned later this year on a 3.046-acre parcel of land owned by ADAMH, located south of Harmon Avenue, east of South Souder Avenue, and north of Buchanan Drive.
“The crisis center will benefit everyone in our community, from individuals in crisis and their families to the overcrowded hospitals and first responders currently stretched to their limits.” Clark Jones added.
Upon construction completion in 2024, the Franklin County Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Center’s vision is to have the capacity to serve adults and their families at any time with a full array of services to support individuals with both mental health and substance use disorders. Peer support will be integrated into all levels of care and ‘warm handoffs’ to appropriate community-based care will be facilitated before individuals are discharged.
About ADAMH
The Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County, also known as ADAMH, offers life-changing possibilities to individuals and families living with mental health or addiction issues. ADAMH, a levy-funded county agency, partners with more than 30 nonprofit agencies located in neighborhoods throughout the county to provide accessible and affordable behavioral health services. To learn more about ADAMH, visit the website at adamhfranklin.org.