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- Volunteers of America Utah is opening a 16-bed residential treatment program, Ballington House, for homeless men experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues in Salt Lake City.
- The facility offers 24-hour supervised care for up to six months and is part of broader state and county efforts to reduce homelessness and recidivism.
SALT LAKE CITY — Volunteers of America Utah will open a 16-bed residential treatment program for men experiencing homelessness and mental health issues on Tuesday.
The nonprofit's former Men's Detox center on Brooklyn Avenue in the Ballpark District has been reimagined as a residential facility, named the Ballington House. The residential program will feature 24-hour supervised care and up to six months of treatment for mental health and substance abuse disorders. A multidisciplinary team will work on resident treatment plans from prescriptions, case management, peer-support and behavior health technicians.
"We have this facility to rebuild and repurpose for something very needed in our community and that's what we're doing now, dedicating our commitment again to serving mentally ill individuals who happen to be homeless. This facility will serve 16 men who are both mentally ill and also homeless — it's a really important population and the need is great," said Kathy Bray, Volunteers of America Utah president and CEO.
The combined approach of substance abuse and mental health treatment is intended to reduce recidivism and homelessness. The approach and additional beds are part of a statewide plan by the Office of Homeless Services as well as a recently announced Salt Lake County reform plan.
Salt Lake County announced a "game-changing" initiative centered on reducing homelessness and reforming the criminal justice system in July. The proposal included a new mental health receiving facility being built outside the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office which will serve as an alternative to jail for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
Currently, Salt Lake County only has 88 mental health beds with the Ballington House opening increasing the count to 104 on Tuesday. The additional beds bring Salt Lake County a little closer to its goal of 1,000 additional units.
"Sometimes it's the hardest to place men because there are federal programs that often will focus on women and their kids and families and sometimes it's the men who go without," said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. "I feel so truly blessed to live in a community that cares and that prioritizes the right things. Not only do we care but we're doing the work. We're delivering 16 units at a time, and that's how we're going to get people continued on the right path and preserve our community in the meantime."
Other elements of the proposal include:
- Adding 1,000 units of housing with space for people suffering from mental illness and homelessness.
- Improving law enforcement training to respond to mental health crises.
- Using the new mental health receiving center as an alternative to jail.
- Adding 10 additional Drug Enforcement Agency officers.
- Increasing facilities for transitional housing and step-down facilities to help inmates reenter the community after incarceration.
The Ballington House will receive its first two residents on Tuesday. The program is a "step-down" facility, meaning that spots can be filled through referral from the Utah State Hospital, prison or jail and case management referrals within the homeless service system. The freshly painted, reimagined Ballington House will continue its long-standing mission that benefited Jeremiah, a newly certified peer specialist.
"I got sober in this building and now I'm getting to work here. I'm really excited to help these guys out on their journey, I can relate to their situation. People can change and we can give them hope and options for their recovery," he said.
