Centerstone and partners celebrate opening of Columbus crisis diversion center

Centerstone, a national nonprofit leader in behavioral health and addiction treatment services, in partnership with Columbus Regional Housing, Bartholomew County Sherriff’s Department, Columbus Police, Healthy Communities of Columbus, Cook Medical, City of Columbus, the United Way, and many others, celebrated the opening of the Stride Center in Columbus last week during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Stride Center, located at 1075 2^nd Street Suite C, is a new crisis diversion program serving residents of Bartholomew and surrounding counties who are experiencing mental health crises or related challenges. An alternative to jail, Centerstone’s Stride Center allows adults 18 and over experiencing mental health or substance use crises to immediately connect with trained professionals who can deescalate their situation, provide one-on-one consultation, and connect them to necessary community resources, such as housing, peer support, residential treatment, food, and clothing. Additionally, the Stride Center offers a mobile crisis response component, allowing trained staff to be deployed into the community to triage individuals in crisis and create safety plans for their unique circumstances.

“In our community, we regularly see people in crisis come into contact with law enforcement and taken to jail or the hospital, and often times neither can provide the mental health treatment or long-term resources someone might need,” said Suzanne Koesel, regional chief executive officer for Centerstone. “With the Stride Center, we can help safely divert people in crisis from the criminal justice system and allow our men and women in uniform to focus their time and energy on other matters.”

The Stride Center is staffed 24/7 with recovery coaches, peer support specialists, therapists and nurses who help support guests. These staff members identify needs and connect guests to resources meant to guide them on the road to recovery and prevent future crises from occurring. The Center contains lockers for guests to store their belongings, showers, a washer and dryer, clean clothes, games, snacks and other features to make guests feel comfortable and welcome during their visit, which can last up to 23 hours.

In conjunction with numerous community partners, Centerstone has operated another Stride Center in Bloomington since 2020. Last year the Bloomington Stride Center saw nearly 2,500 visits from individuals in need.

About Centerstone
Centerstone is a nonprofit health system providing mental health and substance use disorder treatments. Services are available nationally through the operation of outpatient clinics, residential programs, the use of telehealth and an inpatient hospital. Centerstone also features specialized programs for the military community, therapeutic foster care, children’s services and employee assistance programs. Centerstone’s Research Institute provides guidance through research and technology, leveraging the best practices for use in all our communities. Centerstone’s Foundation secures philanthropic resources to support the work and mission of delivering care that changes people’s lives.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please reach out to mediainquiries@centerstone.org.