Community Alliance to open new $67M mental health center

Furnished with comfortable couches and cushy chairs, it’s bright and welcoming, professional but not institutional. Not only does the new facility build on the group’s past, she said, it’s also a reflection of how far the organization and mental health care have come.

“We have always welcomed those who face mental health challenges,” said Boye, who has led the organization since its founding in 1981. “Now we’re going to be able to welcome even more. We’re going to be able to build on what we’ve learned over the past 40 years and continue to provide top-notch services and give people the opportunity not only to work through their mental health and substance use challenges but to thrive as people and as citizens of our community.”

Community Alliance will unveil the new facility near 71st Street and Mercy Road on Wednesday with a 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. Staff and clients will continue to meet at the organization’s current headquarters near 41st and Leavenworth Streets until June 25. Services will close for a day June 26, and the new building will open to the public on June 27.

“It’s a gorgeous facility,” Boye said. “We all keep reminding each other the real work is about to begin, in terms of helping people.”

With the opening of the new facility, the organization expects to be able to serve three times the number of people it worked with when planning began, she said. At that time, the group served about 3,000 people a year. Last year, it topped 6,000. Eventually, it should be able to serve up to 10,000 people annually.

To meet that demand, the group also is focusing on attracting and retaining providers, Boye said, including working with local colleges and universities to help build the workforce. Up to 500 students already come through the organization’s doors every year for training programs of varying durations. She also expects that number to grow.

The new facility also will allow the organization to double down on integrated health care, which marries mental health, physical health and other aspects of well-being. The commitment is spelled out on a banner emblazoned with the word “Wellness” in a main stairway, one of several created by created by Omaha-based tapestry artist Mary Zicafoose.

“We have worked for 40-some years to take not an illness approach but a wellness approach,” Boye said.

The $67 million project was largely funded by private donations, through a capital campaign led by Omaha philanthropists Rhonda and Howard Hawks. The total includes $10 million of the $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act money the Nebraska Legislature allocated in 2022 for expanding mental health services and building new treatment facilities.

“What an amazing gift,” Boye said. “The building is bought and paid for, so we can get about our work.”

The building features two public access points. The main entrance is on the building’s south side, technically the second floor, and leads to the facility’s outpatient therapy and primary care areas.

Boye said the primary care clinic, with 16 exam rooms, represents a significant expansion from the few squeezed into the current facility. The expanded emphasis on physical health recognizes that people with serious mental illness generally face lifespans up to two decades shorter than those who do not.

Placing physical and mental health providers in close proximity also allows the two to work side by side to meet clients’ needs. The organization in particular is emphasizing smoking cessation, since smoking often goes hand in hand with mental health and substance use issues and can contribute to other health problems.

The building also includes a fully equipped dental clinic with four exam rooms. Boye said the organization hopes to open it as soon as they can staff it. Dental care is listed as the No. 1 need by Community Alliance’s clients.

Between the two clinic areas is a care coordination area, where care navigators can meet with clients and help them connect with services.

Other features include an on-site pharmacy and a reflection area with curving walls and benches, aimed at meeting the spiritual needs of clients and staff. Up a floor is a dedicated health and wellness area, with a large open area outfitted with treadmills and other exercise equipment, a studio for yoga and other classes and classrooms for nutrition programs and other offerings. It will be staffed by a full-time health and wellness coordinator, who is already on site.

The building’s first floor north entrance allows access to the organization’s 24/7 peer crisis diversion program and a variety of other services, including day rehabilitation and assertive community treatment. The space includes a recreation area complete with pool tables and cafeteria that together resemble a college union.

The building’s third floor includes administrative and staff offices designed to accommodate current staff and projected growth, she said. The organization currently has 240 employees but anticipates reaching 300 within the next year to 18 months.

It also features community conference rooms and training areas. Before the pandemic, Boye said, the organization hosted gatherings for other organizations in the community as space permitted. The group would like to get back to that.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the community in here,” she said.