Agenda - Council - 01/28/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ill. IV. FAMILY LIFE MENTAL HEALTH CENTER Project: To care for Iow-income, chronically mentally ill. Project Activity: Family Life Mental Health Center located in downtown Anoka and servicing primarily the Northern and Central parts of Anoka County including the city of Ramsey requests funds to assist Iow-income, chronically mentally ill persons to continue services. Many of the chronically mentally ill patients are jobless, without family and/or other support systems to help them. They depend on agencies like Family Life to provide ongoing services such as day treatment, medication management, and help with problems of daily living to keep them out of hospitalization. Many suffer from long-standing depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder or other illnesses which can be most debilitating. Family Life Mental Health Center has been operating in Anoka County since incorporating as a nonprofit in 1978. As a nonprofit serving primarily Iow-income persons without access to a full array of insurance or welfare benefits, the agency ends up subsidizing much of the care of this population. To this end we request your help with CDBG grant monies to replace some long worn furniture, unstable chairs, desks, tables and other furnishings which have been here since 1978. Because of financial difficulties we have deferred replacement of these needed items. Your assistance with grant money would be much appreciated. We serve persons of Iow income from the City of Ramsey and the numbers are given elsewhere in this document. Project Duration: We expect this to be a one to two year project to replace much of the facility furnishings. Last year we averaged 14,000 visits by clients to the agency and we estimate that the total cost of upgrading of furnishings would be in the range of $20,000. Project Request: Our project request is for one year, perhaps into a second year, depending upon funds available. Services: Our services primarily deal with mental health services to the chronically mentally ill, keeping them out of hospitalization, away from becoming community problems requiring the services of police in emergency situations, assisting the overall safety of the community and assisting those who are hurting because of chronic depression and/or other illnesses. Because of inability to perform at normal levels on a job most are jobless and dependent on welfare or social agencies often for their very existence.