Attendees, staff pleased with CHOICES? first year

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

It?s not only working, it?s flourishing.

That?s what attendees and staff at the CHOICES Drop-In Center in Mt. Pleasant report.

CHOICES, an acronym for Center for Hope, Opportunity and Change in an Environment of Support, is located at 211 W. Monroe St., in Mt. Pleasant, and celebrated its first anniversary Tuesday.

Funded by the Southeast Iowa Link (SEIL), the regional mental health and disability services consortium, CHOICE definitely fills a need in the community says Lori Moorman, program director, and Heather Kilpatrick, a regular attendee.

?It definitely fills the need of individuals looking for more activity in their day or if they are isolating,? Moorman stated.

Kilpatrick, a 1999 MPCHS graduate, says CHOICES has helped her immensely. ?It has helped me meet people with some of the same problems as me. I have depression problems and don?t have much family around. I come here not only for myself but to help others.?

Kim Crutcher, director of services of the eastern region for First Resources Corporation, the company that manages CHOICES, said the Mt. Pleasant facility is the only drop-in facility she oversees and the only service of its type funded by SEIL. Because of its association with SEIL, CHOICES ?can operate with more flexibility and serve some people we wouldn?t ordinarily be able to serve.?

Crutcher visits the center weekly and said, ?My impression is that this is extremely successful. I have seen people really improve their mental health. There is a great sense of support and camaraderie between those who come. I think we, as staff, come in and feel a lot better (because of how the drop-in center is serving its guests and the community).?

Moorman said the center has over 300 visits per month from people around the county and has been averaging 15-20 guests per day the last two months.

The goal of the center is to provide multiple services for people with mental illness or intellectual disabilities.

Tim Cook has been going to the center nearly daily for the past 11 months. He said the visits ?help me get out of the house and go somewhere. I feel cooped up when I don?t go anywhere and the socialization has really helped.?

He said he likes the center for its relaxed atmosphere. ?It definitely fills a need. I have told people I know, who are experiencing problems, and they wish they had one of these near where they live.?

Besides offering an opportunity to socialize, CHOICES also serves a noon meal Monday through Friday, has a television room, computer, pool table and other game rooms. Moorman said that various groups visit the center weekly. ?We have peer support groups, spirituality groups and sometimes just a fun group or a positive-thinking group. A group from the Burlington Goodwill Center visited earlier this week.?

In addition to Moorman, the center has two part-time staffers and one peer-support employee.

Anyone is welcome; CHOICES is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Moorman said that during the past year a number of homeless people have stopped by for a meal or to inquire about available resources.

Kilpatrick said CHOICES also offers a destination. ?A lot of people don?t have a place to go, and people here can point them in the right direction.

?I am so glad this place is here,? she continued. ?I have been having some problems and there is no place for me to go. This place has really helped me, and I try to come every day.?