The past year has been a year full of celebrations as we marked 70 years of Wyandot Behavioral Health Network. We have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to celebrate with our staff, our community partners and soon we hope to celebrate with many of our friends and supporters at our upcoming Game Changer Gala as our 70th anniversary year draws to a close.
This year has presented a unique opportunity to look back and recognize how far we have come, while also staying focused on the future and how we can best meet the changing needs of the community. When Wyandot was incorporated back in 1953, the world of mental health looked a lot different than it does today. Over the past 70 years, there has been a concerted effort to move mental health treatment out of institutions and into the community – where people live, work and raise their families. As an organization, we firmly believe in providing mental health treatment and support close to home.
While it would have been easy to sit back and reminisce on how far we’ve come over the past seven decades, we have taken this year to evaluate where we stand now and how we can better serve the community. And as we look to the future, we have a number of big projects that we are working on, including getting Lester Paul’s Place up and running and launching our new Medication-Assisted Treatment program to treat opioid addiction. In the months to come, we will be coming online as a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call center, ensuring that when someone in Wyandotte County needs crisis resources and support, we will be there to answer the call and get them the help they need. We are also currently conducting a Community Needs Assessment and working alongside the Unified Government on their Community Health Improvement Plan to ensure we understand and can mobilize to best meet the needs of our community. At the center of all of these projects is our ongoing focus on health equity. Because every person in Wyandotte County deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest, most fulfilling life.
As we wrap up our 70th anniversary and look to what’s next for Wyandot BHN, we would love for you to join us for our inaugural Game Changer Gala on Tuesday, November 14. Our goal is that you will walk away from the gala feeling inspired by powerful stories of growth and recovery. With your support, we will continue to change the game for mental health.