Hall-Perrine pledges up to $1M to Abbe mental health center

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Hall-Perrine Foundation has pledged up to $1 million to prepare a new office for the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health in the former Stamats building in Cedar Rapids.

The matching grant to St. Luke’s Foundation for UnityPoint Health-AbbeHealth Services is the lead gift as the foundation kicks off a $4 million New Beginnings Start Here capital campaign to support AbbeHealth and its services.

Hall-Perrine will award one dollar for every two dollars raised in the campaign, up to $1 million. St. Luke’s Foundation needs to raise $2 million to receive the full matching grant.

The capital campaign supports a new home for AbbeHealth while meeting a growing need in our community.

“We’re extremely grateful for the Hall-Perrine Foundation’s support of our community mental health campaign,” said Mary Klinger, St. Luke’s Foundation president. “We are excited to see how community support from donors will help raise the matching funds to fulfill this grant.“ .

UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital bought the Stamats’ building for $3.15 million. The purchase was funded by capital funds, the foundation’s fundraising and a $1 million grant for Community Behavioral Health Care.

New office, new model

Earlier this year, AbbeHealth announced it was consolidating and moving to 615 Fifth St. SE, the former Stamats Building.

Construction and renovation are currently underway, with an open house planned in May next year during National Mental Health Awareness Month.

The new facility has more than 31,000 square feet, which gives AbbeHealth the space needed for its new model of care, the first in the state, called the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.

“The new model of care aims to improve community access and provide comprehensive, integrated, coordinated, and person-centered behavioral health care,” said Kathy Johnson, AbbeHealth Services executive director. “Our new location will allow us more space to offer these services in one convenient place.”

That consolidation will allow “integrated care, cost-efficiencies and savings, creating a welcoming environment,” according to a news release from UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Foundation,

Largest in state

The Abbe Center for Community Mental Health is a state and nationally accredited community mental health center serving individuals of all ages.

It provides more than 20,000 individual services each year. Three out of four Abbe Center clients are covered by Medicaid or Medicare. Officials note nearly one in two individuals will need behavioral health care in their lifetime.

the Linn County Mental Health Center was founded Oct. 17, 1949, and is now known as the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health.

AbbeHealth has expanded to serve residents in Linn, Johnson, Benton, Buchanan, Delaware, Jones, Iowa and Cedar counties, providing outpatient therapy, substance use disorder services, psychiatric care, community-based programs and crisis intervention services.

“By helping people with mental health issues maintain jobs, stabilize their families and stay in school, we’re strengthening our community for all of us,” said Casey Greene, president of UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids.