If you are looking to positively impact our most vulnerable and under-served community members’ quality of life, you have an opportunity this Giving Tuesday. Your contribution to Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc., (MIRCI.org) improves the lives of people facing mental illness and homelessness, while saving us all millions of dollars and strengthening our community.
Supporting MIRCI is an investment in human beings with value. It’s also an investment in our community as a whole, says president and executive director Julie Ann Avin.
“Ninety-five percent of all funds go directly to client services, so if you want to support the most vulnerable people in our community, MIRCI is your conduit,” she says.
MIRCI’s lifesaving work also offsets millions of dollars of spending in the Midlands. Its housing program for homeless individuals and families served 300 people last year, saving us all $6.4 million by diverting them from emergency rooms and hospital care.
Individuals accessing MIRCI’s behavioral health services reduced their reliance on expensive emergency room care by 55% and required 57% less hospitalization.
MIRCI’s Youth Drop-In Center for homeless teens offset another $2 million in social service spending by teaching youth facing homelessness effective strategies to manage anxiety and stress, allowing them to focus instead on education, employment and stable housing.
How does MIRCI support individuals with mental illness while reducing the costs of social service? Their teams of psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, counselors and other mental health experts provide a variety of counseling, housing and financial management services to a cohort of individuals who have fallen through the cracks of society.
MIRCI’s homeless outreach team heads onto the streets to identify those facing homelessness or at risk for homelessness. The team scours Finley Park, area cemeteries and bridges, vacant buildings, public libraries and other congregation sites for homeless individuals. By connecting, engaging and building trust, the team has guided 700 individuals annually to treatment and shelter. Those struggling with diseases of the brain receive services from MIRCI while others are referred to shelters.
MIRCI’s treatment and recovery services include an array of evidence-based counseling and supportive services like benefits assistance and financial management. Their mobile treatment team takes its services on the road where homeless individuals live, to ensure that they see their doctors, get their medications, and generally reduce the harm they could be doing to themselves.
MIRCI believes that housing is not just a basic human right, it is imperative for individuals to function in our society. “It’s hard to concentrate on eating properly or attending to any number of things you and I take for granted every day if you don’t know where you will sleep at night,” says Avin.
MIRCI provides that one place where people struggling with homelessness and mental illness can rest, recover and deal positively with the trauma in their lives.
The critical services provided by MIRCI are made possible by federal, state and corporate grants and contracts, and by generous and forward-thinking individuals like you. You can make a tax-deductible contribution through Paypal. To learn more, visit MIRCI.org or call (803) 786-1844.