Construction is underway for Delaware County’s new regional mental health and rehabilitation center. Delaware County Commissioners hosted a “groundbreaking ceremony” to commemorate the solidification of the center’s blueprints and the beginning of construction.
The ceremony, held Aug. 21, was attended by state representatives from the surrounding area who were given a hard hat and shovel. The purpose was for them to be hands-on and actively involved in the groundbreaking.
Though the somewhat labor-intensive digging may have induced a few calluses, Democratic representative Sue Errington of District 34 enforced the necessity of the work.
“There is a very real need for services to address [mental health-related] issues in Delaware County, and this facility is much needed in East Central Indiana,” Errington said via email.
Discussions related to a possible regional rehabilitation center began as early as April 2024 when state officials approved nearly $104 million in renovation projects throughout the area. The $7.6 million facility is funded by the federal COVID-19-era American Rescue Plan (ARP) and a $2.5 million grant from the state, Errington said in an official statement on Facebook.
According to Mental Health America, Indiana is continually ranked among the ten states with the largest adults with mental illness population. In 2023, the state ranked 41st among the 50 states. However, it’s an improvement from the state’s 43rd ranking in 2022.
Mental health is important to monitor among all age groups, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Poor mental health can also bring about poor coping mechanisms, strengthening the likelihood of addiction no matter a person’s age.
A report published in April 2022 by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration found that “Between 2008 and 2016, there was a significant [nationwide] increase in underage major depressive episodes … Indiana showed the greatest increase.”
The state showed a near six percent increase while the national and regional average was four percent. Countywide, Delaware County ranked highest in the state among populations of adults who reported mental distress.
“Substance abuse and mental health go hand in hand; to solve one issue, we must also address the other,” Errington said.
According to Next Level Recovery Indiana, nearly 4.2 million people nationwide “felt they needed treatment [but] did not seek it because they feared negative attitudes from their community.”
At the local level, Indiana University reported in 2024 that almost 1 in 12 Hoosiers “meet the criteria for having a substance use disorder.”
To combat these issues at the state level, local initiatives matter and often act as a pivotal step toward change on a mass scale. City officials know this.
“This is kind of a bittersweet day,” County Commissioner Shannon Henry said during the ceremony’s press conference. “A rehabilitation center is not something we want to build. It’s something this region needs. We’ve got to have it for the people.”
The facility is the first of its kind in Delaware County and the surrounding Muncie community.
“I'm honored to have had even a small role in establishing these services in our community and providing additional support for those who need it,” Errington said.
The facility is an in-patient care center, working in conjunction with — but ultimately different from — the Muncie Crisis Center, which will handle emergency mental health issues. A February 2023 city press release confirmed the crisis center is also under construction using APR funds and is expected to be built by December 2026.
Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine.hill@bsu.edu .
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