‘Safe place’ offers programs, treatment for youth in crisis

At the April 9 opening of the Youth Resiliency Campus, in a room full of local and state leaders, Lawren Cramer shared her experience to explain why a behavioral health crisis center is needed in Greene County.

“I didn’t feel safe anywhere, including within myself. Like far too many others, I turned to substance use as a way to cope,” she said. “What started as a way to numb the things I couldn’t understand became years of instability, years where I was unsafe, physically and emotionally hurt, and at times unhoused right here in Springfield.”

Cramer, assistant director of youth residential services for Centerstone Missouri, said she needed support, a place to find her footing, treatment and access to the skills required to change her life.

“That is what we are going to give the young people in this community. We will see them. We will support them,” she said. “We will be a safe place built on understanding, connection and care while they learn the tools, the confidence and the resilience they need to build lives that they are not only safe in but proud of.”

Gov. Mike Kehoe was part of the ceremony to open the 27,858-square-foot facility at 2748 N. National Ave. to serve individuals – between the ages of 12 and 18 – at risk of harming themselves or others.

“It’s a place where young persons in crisis can walk through the door, no referral, no delay, and get help immediately,” Kehoe said at the April 9 event. “It’s a place where families can find answers instead of uncertainty and it’s a place where care is coordinated, intentional and focused.”

Kehoe said the new facility, the first of its kind in Missouri, will be a lifeline for young people who are hurting. He said the model should be replicated.

“It represents the decision to do things differently, to intervene earlier, to make help accessible and to give young people a real shot at getting back on the right path,” he said.

The $13 million project was funded by $5.3 million in American Recovery Plan Act allocation from Greene County and $1 million from the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Funding also included $5 million that was part of the state’s 2026 fiscal year budget.

“We are so excited about this innovative, forward-thinking model that will address gaps in services for students experiencing mental health or substance use crisis across all of southwest Missouri,” said John Russell, a member of the Greene County Commission. “Today is more than a ribbon cutting. It is a statement…that our community sees our youth, we hear them, and we’re committed to supporting them for a lifetime.”

Val Huhn, director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, said the campus is needed, noting one in every four Missourians, ages 12-18, battles significant stress and anxiety.

“Those challenges deeply affect their daily lives and their schoolwork,” she said. “Missouri kids are experiencing a rise in isolation and depression.”

The Youth Resiliency Campus will offer the following programs and services:

▪ Behavioral crisis center open 24/7 to access mental health and substance abuse services

▪ Intensive outpatient program offering structured mental health services running three hours a day, three days a week

▪ Partial hospitalization program offering clinical treatment five days a week for five or more hours a day

▪ Residential treatment program for individuals who have difficulty maintaining safety and stability in less restrictive settings

“The YRC is a transformative project design to provide youths emergency 24/7 behavioral health care and expanded residential care services but also opportunities to address needs before they escalate to crisis levels,” said Mat Gass, CEO of Centerstone Missouri, in a news release. “To offer all these services on one campus is truly remarkable, and it’s very exciting for our team members.”