Dedication; Open House For New Kenosha Treatment Center

What’s being described as a hub for crisis services in Kenosha County is getting ready to open.

The new KARE/Crisis Prevention Center will be located in a building at 1202 60th St.

It's replaces another located about seven blocks due east that's become less than ideal for the purpose it serves. "It was built in 1865," said Jeannine Field, executive director of Kenosha Human Development Services, the non-profit agency that operates the place under a contract with Kenosha County. The current building isn't handicap accessible and is too small to allow the center to meet growing needs, she said. 

The front half of the new building will be devoted to an expansion of on-the-spot crisis counseling. It'll also house the county's crisis hotline.

The back half of the building consists of living quarters for short-term, in-patient stays for people dealing with mental health or substance abuse problems. Larger quarters will allow this service to expand from 11 to 18 beds.

KARE is an acronym for Kenosha Adult Residential Emergency. 

Over the past three years, the in-patient service has averaged 715 intakes per year, according to Field.

The center acts to minimize the number of hospital stays which are often times paid by the county. Another goal is to encourage residents to get the treatment and help they need early on to avoid an escalation of problems.  

The new building is a collaborative effort with the city, which paid the purchase price through tax incremental financing.  

A dedication and open house will be held this Saturday, Feb. 17th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

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