Posted: Apr 22, 2013 9:49 AM by Evan Weborg (evan@kxlh.com) ˖ Read the original article at Kxlh.com
HELENA – Intermountain has been restoring hope for children for more than a century, and celebrated the dedication of a new building on Saturday.
Rev. Marianne Niesen, an Intermountain board member, said, “Long ago, over 100 years ago, a United Methodist, he was a Methodist circuit rider, he had to do something because the suffering of children could not go unaddressed, and the ministry we know now as Intermountain started with that and it is something we continue.”
Intermountain will be moving forward in a facility that is designed to help more than 1,300 children each year in the Helena area.
John Watson, Intermountain board president, said, “We used to treat only the damages kids after they were damaged. Now we are more into prevention, early detection in school systems and among families so that we can help prevent that adverse child experience before it happens.”
(April 19, 2012) Intermountain of Helena broke ground for construction of a new community services center today.
The new 22,000 square foot building located behind Petco on Dredge Drive will include outpatient services and in-home support of children with mental health needs.
The facility will also be the new headquarters for Intermountain’s administration which is currently located down the road at Partridge Place.
Glenna Wortman-Obie, Intermountain spokeswoman, said, “We’re serving about 1,200 children a year with our different programs. This will be the hub, this will be the flagship, the headquarters for Intermountain but we do want to emphasize our residential program will remain up at the Lamborn property.”
Foster mother Shannon Gleason noted, “I think that Intermountain reaches out and touches I bet 80% of kids who are in foster care, and so it will be a tremendous help having all the services in one spot.”
The community services center is funded in part through a $300,000 grant award from the Montana Mental Health Settlement Trust.