Goodwill’s Behavioral Health Services program is located in this building at 1808 S. Eddy St. Goodwill announced in March that it was closing its Behavioral Health Services program. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska announced in a March 16 letter that it is closing its Behavioral Health Services program.
An announcement was posted April 8 on Goodwill’s website about closing the program. The announcement is posted at: https://goodwillne.org/News-Events/Recent-News.
The Day Rehabilitation and Day Support programs will close April 24. Emergency Community Support, Community Support, and SOAR will close June 30.
Audrey DeFrank, Director of Marketing and Development for Goodwill, commented April 9 about the reasons for closing the program.
“The program became unsustainable due to continuing decreases and ongoing fluctuations in public funding for mental health services. Despite strong outcomes and community need, the financial structure no longer supported long-term program stability for our organization,” DeFrank said.
“This conclusion is based on several factors, including ongoing staffing challenges, financial sustainability, administrative burden and associated expenses and uncertainty surrounding newly proposed Medicaid and Division of Behavioral Health service definitions,” she said.
She said the decision to close the program was made by Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska’s executive leadership team in collaboration with the Board of Directors, following a thorough financial and operational review.
DeFrank commented about how much money would be needed to continue the Behavioral Health Services program.
“While exact figures may vary year to year, the program would require a significant and sustained increase in funding – likely several hundred thousand dollars annually – to offset funding gaps and ensure long-term viability,” she said.
“We provide Day Rehabilitation and Day Support Services. Over the past five years, we have served an average of 625 individuals annually in our Behavioral Health Services,” she said.
Approximately eight full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members are impacted by the closure.
DeFrank commented about how the building at 1808 S. Eddy St. where the Behavioral Health Services program is located will be used after the program closes.
“Goodwill will be exploring options for the future use of this space, but right now, we are focused on supporting the program participants and impacted staff members,” she said.
DeFrank explained what the SOAR program is. It is one of the programs that will end on June 30.
“SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) is a national model that helps individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness—particularly those with mental illness—apply for and obtain Social Security disability benefits,” she said.
DeFrank explained what Goodwill is doing to help clients transition to other services.
“Goodwill is taking a person-centered approach to ensure continuity of care. This includes: coordinating referrals to other local providers, working directly with clients, families, and case managers; and providing support and resources during the transition period to minimize disruption,” she said.
DeFrank commented about whether any grant funding is available that would help Goodwill continue the Behavioral Health Services program.
“At this time, there are no identified grant opportunities sufficient to sustainably fund the program,” she said.
She commented about whether any funding is available from foundations that would help Goodwill continue the program.
“Goodwill has explored conversations with local and regional funders. However, the scale and ongoing nature of funding required exceed what is typically available through foundation support alone,” she said.
DeFrank commented about whether Goodwill has considered having a fund-raising event that would help Goodwill continue the Behavioral Health Services program.
“Yes, fundraising strategies – including events and donor campaigns – have been considered. However, while fundraising can support and enhance services, it is not a reliable or sustainable funding source at the scale required to operate a comprehensive behavioral health program long-term,” she said.
“While Goodwill will be stepping away from Behavioral Health services, it is important to note, that we still remain connected and committed to serving people with behavioral health needs through our Supported Employment services,” DeFrank said.