According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — Hamilton County has a new facility for residents seeking help during emotional distress.
It is also for those facing a crisis, contemplating self-harm or struggling with addiction. Soon after the ribbon cutting for the new Rely Center in Noblesville, the first patient was already on the way.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. Aspire Indiana Health oversees Rely Center, and CEO Antony Sheehan said this provides a crucial service to the growing Hamilton County population.
“We opened same day access in this clinic more than a year ago, and we’ve had several thousand people walk across our threshold to get treatment in the day,” Sheehan said. “So, this crisis center complements that.”
Patients can stay at Rely Center for up to 23 hours. If they need help beyond that, Sheehan said they will be connected with more resources.
“Sometimes, that might be to a high level of care,” Sheehan said. “Honestly, more frequently, it’ll be to outpatient services, because people’s immediate feelings and needs will have been resolved a little bit, but they need ongoing support.”
Community members met monthly for three years to make sure Rely Center was ready to help. Hamilton County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt (R-District 3) said it was a complicated process that went through several legislative changes — even a trip to the Indiana Statehouse. He explained the idea came after the 2018 shooting at Noblesville West Middle School.
“It was something that we’ve never forgotten, and we talked about mental health and substance abuse, how it’s affecting our community, and we needed to do something that was going to change behavior health,” Heirbrandt said.
When patients arrive, they will get a warm blanket, food and a professional assessment from their medical team. That could lead to a diagnosis and immediate treatment. It is also a family practice that can prescribe medications.
“Someone to listen and guide them and give them those connections in that moment of crisis is going to make a world of difference,” said Vanessa Pataky, Aspire Indiana Health vice president of service access.
For treatment beyond what is offered at Rely Center, staff can connect people with ongoing care like therapy, medical treatment and social services.