Rosecrance President/CEO Philip Eaton and Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, pose for a photo at Rosecrance’s Veteran’s Priority Unit (V.I.P.) open house event on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011.14 new beds serve patients with substance use and mental health disorders
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ROCKFORD – Rosecrance this week celebrated the completion of a $1 million campaign to build a new treatment unit to serve veterans and others who suffer from co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
The 14-bed unit, located on the third floor of the Harrison Adult Campus, has served 90 patients since it opened in February. About one-third of those patients were U.S. military veterans. Because of their unique sacrifices for our country, vets and their family members receive priority admission to treatment through the new program.
The fundraising campaign reached goal only recently with the release of previously committed funds from the State of Illinois and with a gift from the people of Winnebago County through the County Board. The day room on the unit was a gift of Woodward, also a lead donor to the project.
A large display on the unit recognizes those gifts, as well as leadership donations from many other corporations and individuals, including The Beloit Foundation; Bergstrom Inc. Charitable Foundation; Kelley Williamson Company; Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, Americas Region; Williams Manny Inc.; Jean A. Castle; Bob and Patty Rhea; Rockford ProAm; Rosecrance Staff; Smith Charitable Foundation; and Stenstrom Family Foundation.
Philip W. Eaton, President/CEO of Rosecrance, said the organization started construction on the new treatment space before all the funds were raised.
“We knew the need for treatment among veterans who suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) combined with substance abuse was immediate and increasing,” Eaton said.
“When our board members voted unanimously to make this leap to serve our vets, they were confident that the community would step up to help, and they were right.
“We are very, very grateful to every company and individual who made a donation to help these vets and their families find the way back home from war.”
The much-publicized issues of substance abuse and PTSD among troops returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan drove creation of the new treatment unit at Rosecrance. It is estimated that at least one in five military personnel return home from serving in the combat zones with PTSD, major depression or another mental health issue that makes them more prone to substance abuse, domestic violence and suicide.
The Pentagon has reported that more U.S. troops were hospitalized in 2009 for substance abuse, PTSD, depression and anxiety than for physical injuries due to combat.
Rosecrance’s Harrison Adult Campus is one of the largest inpatient treatment centers in Illinois. The campus offers 73 residential treatment beds and 24 beds for detoxification services.
Contact:
Judy Emerson
Director of Communications
Rosecrance Health Network
1021 N. Mulford Road
Rockford, IL 61107
815.387.5605
815.262.4685 (cell)
jemerson@rosecrance.org
About Rosecrance
Rosecrance is a private not-for-profit organization offering behavioral health services for more than 13,000 children, adolescents, adults and families each year. Rosecrance provides addiction treatment through inpatient and outpatient programs in Rockford and outpatient services at five satellite offices in the Chicago area. In addition, Rosecrance offers community mental health services in Rockford.