Our youth mental health services are soon expanding because of a blessing from heaven.
Children and families have been at the heart of Catholic Charities mission from our early years of placing children in loving, adoptive homes. Now, our priority programs provide the best mental health care. Every child deserves to thrive, but right now, many are hurting. Mental illnesses in children, such as depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are more prevalent than ever. The need for more access to specialized services is evident, and all predictions show this trend will continue.
Conversations about the impending need for more space in our Sioux City facility has been ongoing as well. We are at - actually beyond - capacity after expanding our team of therapists, launching Welcome, bringing psychiatrist, Dr. Nesrin Abu Ata, to the agency and setting aside space for the Hardy Hope Closet. We’ve occupied our building for 30 years, and we have utilized every inch meeting mission-aligned community needs.
The path to acquiring the resources for the addition we dreamed of was not yet evident, but the necessity was mounting when, early in 2023, notification came of an estate gift from Angeline Thom of Ashton, a devoted Catholic for her 96 years.
Because of Angeline’s kindness in planning her farmland bequest, our dream gained momentum. Now, in the final stage of fundraising, we are nearly ready to break ground on a building named in her memory.
Project updates, construction pictures and special recognition of the project’s generous donors will be shared over the upcoming months.
A Groundbreaking and Blessing by Bishop R. Walker Nickless will be held this fall.
Sneak-Peek!
Some highlights of the new facility, which will double our current building’s footprint size:
New, expanded entrance and waiting room
Office for a specialized youth mental health therapist to join our team
Psychiatrist suite, with private check-in room
Play Therapy, Youth Therapy & Art rooms
Parent-Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) room
Group Therapy spaces
"We are grateful that children and families will now have a space dedicated to their healing thanks to the generosity of Angeline and so many others."
- Amy Bloch LISW
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