LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Rhodes State College is stepping up to help fill the need for more mental health and addiction professionals.
The college officially opened the Justin Borra Center for Behavioral Services. Borra was a long-time healthcare executive who passed away in 2019 and his family gave a large gift to Rhodes to support a variety of healthcare programs. A few years ago, Rhodes saw a growing need for mental health services, so they adapted their programs and created the center to help locally and across the country.
"It started with our normal Human Services Program, and as we started hearing more from legislation and the governor and others across the nation about the need for addictions and behavioral services we decided we are going to start down that journey," says Dr. Cynthia Spiers, President Rhodes State College. "And we had no idea at that time that the journey would lead to this particular facility where we can help a lot of individuals and meet that need."
This is the first dedicated space for students in the mental health, addiction, and social work assistant associate degree program. But besides a learning space, the center will be used to help Rhodes students with their own needs.
"It also has a group therapy room that we want to bring in student peer advocates and student peer mentors to help students who may be suffering from financial insecurities, depression, anxiety," adds Angela Heaton, Dean of Health Sciences and Public Service. "And so, they will be supporting each other as a community."
The students will start using the center next week.
