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Green Street Offices upgraded to handle more clients, increase “walk-in” capability
ALLENTOWN, PA (July 30, 2020) – Renovations at KidsPeace’s Green Street outpatient clinic will allow the facility to serve up to 150 more clients a year – including many who take advantage of free walk-in mental health assessments provided at the east Allentown facility.
The renovated offices were unveiled July 30 during a “virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony” streamed on the organization’s Facebook page. The video presentation featured a tour of the renovated facility and messages of
congratulation and support from various dignitaries – including Governor Tom Wolf, Marta Gabriel from the office of
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, State Representative Mike Schlossberg of Allentown, and Trexler Trust Executive Director Janet Roth, whose organization provided a lead gift to fund the renovation project.
“Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic made having a real-life event at the facility problematic, but we still wanted to celebrate this achievement,” said KidsPeace President and CEO Michael Slack, who hosted the online presentation. “By doing this virtual event, we could bring attention to both the need for greater access to mental health services in our community and the ways we at KidsPeace are working to meet that challenge.”
The free walk-in assessment program offered at the facility was highlighted in the presentation through comments by a KidsPeace client who sought an assessment at the office. She credits the availability and caring of the staff for helping her in her moments of need: “The experience that I had been going through when I came in for the
walk-in was something that I never thought I’d be able to move past. But after talking with the KidsPeace counselor, that single interaction helped me so much to change my point of view on everything and move forward.”
KidsPeace’s Executive Director of Community Programs in Pennsylvania, Chris Ferry, estimates that the renovations will enable the Green Street office to see a significant increase in clients. “Currently we serve about 500 individuals in Green Street’s individual, family and group therapy and medication management programs. Because of this expansion, we will grow that number by 100 to 150 people.”
“It’s a great opportunity to help more individuals in the Lehigh Valley.”
Other supporters of the renovation project include Keystone Savings Foundation, Dr. Scott and Tricia Reines, Trammell Crow, and the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.
The Virtual Ribbon Cutting celebration of Green Street can be viewed at KidsPeace’s Facebook page, and on its YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSK2isqQSIM.
Since 1882, KidsPeace has been building on its expertise to give hope, help and healing to children, adults and those who love them. Through its comprehensive range of residential treatment programs; accredited educational services; unique psychiatric hospital and foster care and community-based programs, KidsPeace is dedicated to helping people connect, transform and overcome their challenges to ensure a stable future, transition to adulthood and gain independence. Since its doors opened, nearly 300,000 children have participated in one of the multitude of programs KidsPeace offers.
For additional resources or more information on how to get involved, become a foster parent or make a donation, please visit www.kidspeace.org. Follow us at www.facebook.com/kidspeace.org or on Twitter @KidsPeace.
Information Provided By:
Robert Martin
Director of Communications
