Expanded care for people with drug addiction and mental health issues is the aim behind a brand new re-entry and treatment center on Columbus' Southside.
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The $25 million expansion by Alvis Inc. also includes renovations to its existing facility on Alum Creek Drive.
With the new building, Alvis Inc. will be able to house about 350 residents, up from around 280, while also providing a variety of services ranging from substance abuse and mental health treatment to workforce development, all under one roof.
"When people are in crisis, we're right here. When people need a job, we're right here. When people need mental health treatment, we're right here," Alvis Inc. president and CEO Denise Robinson said.
Several local dignitaries and elected officials were on hand for Thursday's ribbon cutting, including Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, who called the event "a day of hope."
"This is an incredible partnership that's going to help people claim back their lives, their independence, their freedom, their ability to support themselves and their families. That's what this is all about," Ginther said.
Travis McDaniel also spoke at Thursday's ceremony. He said he got help from Alvis Inc. after a period of incarceration nearly a decade ago.
"You don't know how to do a resume, you don't know what jobs to apply to, what jobs you can apply to. You don't know how you're going to get back and forth to work. You don't know where you're going to sleep or what you're going to eat," McDaniel said.
"Alvis alleviates a lot of those required necessities so that you can breathe and then reassess yourself," he added.
Nearly 80 percent of clients who complete Alvis Inc.'s residential programs do not re-enter the criminal justice system after three years, compared to the national average of 50 percent, the agency said.
