BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF LOCAL SALVATION ARMY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
OMAHA, Neb.—Among the most prominent services that The Salvation Army of Omaha provides at its Renaissance Village campus near 36th and Cuming Streets are its Behavioral Health programs.
Behavioral Health Services director Ree Reimers says some of those services are unique to the Omaha area.
“The Salvation Army is the only provider in the area for mental health respite, we are the only provider of intensive community services in the community, and we are the only community-accessible emergency community support program in the area," she said.
The Mental Health Respite program gives housing to those diagnosed with a severe mental illness. These individuals have often recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital.
The Intensive Community Services program has wide coverage across the metro.
"We have both Intensive Community Services that offers housing on campus here...[and] we've also expanded Intensive Community Services into the community, and that serves people with severe and persistent mental illness," Reimers said.
She calls Emergency Community Support the most accessible service.
“That is case management for up to a period of 90 days. And through that program, we're able to serve really anyone in the community—that refers themselves or are referred by a community provider—that’s recently experienced a behavioral health crisis."
The Salvation Army of Omaha also has two VA grant programs.
One of them is the VA Housing Opportunities Program (VA-HOP), which gives homeless veterans and their families up to 12 months of community-based housing.
"We work with them to get them stabilized and reduce those housing barriers,” Reimers said. “So that way, after about a year of service, they're able to take over the lease that The Salvation Army has put in place and have that put in their own name and stay where they are."
The VA Community Assistance Support Services (VA-CASS) program helps homeless veterans who have medical, physical, mental health, or substance use needs.
Reimers said when people do not have homes or are unable to maintain basic needs, it leads to them constantly living in crisis. She said The Salvation Army’s goal with the Behavioral Health Services program is to help them begin or maintain their mental health recovery.
“Through that, not only are they healthier and doing better and more productive members of society, but it contributes to the overall wellness and well-being of our community."