The Stride Center will officer counseling to those struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.
The center has a 25 person capacity. It will have two full time therapists, a program manager and peer specialists on staff.
“For someone coming into contact with the police for the first time, diversion to the Stride Center could avoid that first arrest record and the collateral consequences that follow,” Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant said during Stride’s ribbon cutting ceremony Monday.
Oliphant added that Bloomington Police officers will be given a form to make a referral as well procedures to follow when doing so. Oliphant is working with other law enforcement agencies in the county, including DNR and Indiana State Police to get their officers on board.
The Stride Center will begin accepting referrals August 3 rd.
“This center is the first fully operational center of its kind in Indiana, and only a handful of them exist throughout the country,” CEO of the Cook Group Pete Yonkman said.
The Stride Center is made possible by $2.1 million in grants and funding from IU Health Community Impact Investment, the IU Health Foundation, and other local organizations.
The center was developed by the Stride Coalition, a group of 40 organizations working to develop resources for those dealing with substance abuse disorders.
