“We all truly wanted to serve the community and do what was necessary,” CEO Deanna Proctor said.
The agency was started by Proctor and Dr. Judith Freeland, medical director; Debra Cotter, clinical director of youth services; and Lynn Harris, clinical director of adult services.
Some of the services offered include psychiatric therapy, play therapy, anger management, substance abuse counseling, family therapy, couples counseling, domestic violence treatment and a wide range of other mental health services.
Now, the agency has a partnership with a local homeless shelter and Middletown City Schools, and it is the newest provider for the Butler County Mental Health Board.
The number of Butler County residents needing mental health services has increased while state funding for the county’s Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board has dropped.
In Butler County, there are just over 700 residents for every 1 mental health provider, according to the 2016 County Health Rankings.
“It is very rare to see an agency have six psychiatrists available on staff and we have that,” Harris said.
Their physical office space has also grown in the past four years. In addition to their original office, 4464 S. Dixie Hwy., there are now four other locations throughout Middletown.
“We opened March 12 of 2012, and at the end of that year we had 20 employees including the four partners,” Proctor said. “But we have continued to grow each year.”
Now, the agency has 101 employees, plus 10 to 15 interns.
The agency’s founders are closely watching what happens with proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare.
“Well, there is a great big question mark on the horizon and that is the new health care bill,” Freeland said. “I am very concerned about it because of things like funding for mental health. We will have to make decisions piece by piece when we learn more.”
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