Years later, Anchor Center finally opens

CEDAR RAPIDS - Sitting empty more than six years because of a lack of funding, the Anchor Center - a residential treatment center for parolees and probationers with mental health and substance abuse issues - is finally open.

The 26-bed mental health residential correctional center. at 3115 12th St. SW in Cedar Rapids, is intended to serve as a bridge to help offenders transition out of prison and back into society.

The first two residents were going through the intake process Monday. The center is designed to serve men and women but initially will take only men. The residents can stay up to a year, but officials expect most will be ready for release within six months.

Bruce Vander Sanden, director of the 6th Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, said organizers are starting off slow and will be able to fill the center only to half capacity because of limited funding. The center received $1.5 million as part of the DOC budget for the first year of operation. The original budget for the center back in 2009 was $2.3 million, which it never received because of state budget cuts.

'We are excited it's open and being able to serve this population that has high recidivism rates,” Vander Sanden said. 'It will be the first-of-its-kind in the state. I think DOC officials are eager to have a center like this.”

Malinda Lamb, clinical services director for the 6th Judicial District, said 41 percent of the state prison population has mental health issues. A big part to making these offenders successful is getting them medication on a regular basis - and teaching them life skills.

The center has a treatment team specially trained and certified to work on mental, physical, social, behavioral and educational needs, Lamb said. Each treatment plan will be geared to the individual. The team consists of clinicians for mental health and substance abuse, a nursing staff, a psychiatrist and residential officers who take care of day-to-day operations.

'Some of the clients need help with things we take for granted knowing, like how to behave with others and how to take care of hygiene needs,” Lamb said. 'Or they don't understand how to play a game and take turns. Just those basic skills, they never learned.”

Rob Metzger, psychologist with the center, said some residents will work while they are living at Anchor or may go to school, if they are at that level.

Melanie Steffens, the residential supervisor, said residents go through different levels in making progress toward being released. Each level has different expectations - such as learning the rules of the center as the first level, completing treatment at another level.

Steffens said residents who are able also work on community service projects with the partners like Goodwill of the Heartland and Accessories, a company that makes toys and gym equipment for children who may have physical disabilities.