Peace of Mind Loses State Funding; Forced to Close

A mental health organization in Northwest Missouri is forced to close its doors. St. Joseph`s Peace of Mind center relies on state funding to stay in business, but the state has taken that away. The drop-in center for the developmentally disabled appears destined for doom, but visitors there say Peace of Mind is more than just a gathering place. The closing of the Peace of Mind center leaves April Hood`s mind uneasy. "It`s my home, these people are my family," Hood says. Hood is a mental health worker and patient. She`s diagnosed as bi-polar, suffering major mood swings. But Hood says the center`s peers helping peers programing puts life in perspective. "It`s a place I can go and I feel safe and there`s always someone to talk to. It beats that lonely feeling," Hood says. Reaching out to others, Hood coordinates a hotline, open 24-7 to help fellow friends in need. She says the hotline has taken nearly 150 calls this month alone. "We have so many callers that I just don`t know what they`re going to do now," Hood says. What they could do alarms Peace of Mind Director Cindy Brannen. "I`ve already heard some of them say `well we might as well go back to smoking and drinking because there isn`t anything else to do`," Brannen says. Brannes adds that mental illness should be a community concern. "There`s going to be more crime, more poverty and homelessness. There`s just no place to go," Brannen says. Missouri requires state-funded agencies to renew bids for money annually. Ccontracts are awarded based on a 100-point system. Operating costs account for 40 percent of the total, followed by staff expertise at 35 percent, and how the center is run accounts for 25 percent. State officials say Peace of Mind just didn`t measure up. The center will close its doors but will leave its arms open. "My door`s always open. If somebody needs to help, all they have to do is say hey April, I need to talk. And just because I`m closing, that doesn`t mean I`m gone," Hood says. "There`s a brighter day, a brighter eye, a focus on life here," Dale Smith, Peace of Mind visitor, says. The center will continue to strive to squash stigmas about mental health. Peace of Mind plans to appeal the decision. In the meantime, it is redirecting hotline calls through the Family Guidance Center at 1-888-279-8188 or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE. Peace of Mind employs 14 people and serves about 50 people on any given day from 18 counties in Northwest Missouri. It works from a $73,000 annual budget.