U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development State Director for Michigan James J. Turner today joined local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of an outpatient mental health and substance abuse facility being constructed for the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority.
“Positive mental health is a journey that is important and worthwhile to embrace in life.” said Turner. “USDA Rural Development is excited to help Michigan residents break down the stigma surrounding the mental health and obtain necessary treatment locally in a state of the art facility like this one.”
USDA Rural Development provided a $3.720 million Community Facilities (CF) loan to support the project. Total cost is $4.183 million and will include a $463,021 contribution from the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority.
The services provided by the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority are currently spread throughout three separate leased facilities. This project will consolidate services and staff into one building, which will improve the quality and efficiency of the treatment being provided to local rural residents in a large area. This project serves 59,173 rural residents.
USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan James J. Turner was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Under the Obama Administration, USDA Rural Development has invested more than $7.2 billion in Michigan projects.