Expanding the Promise
November 11, 2010 - Vinland Center is at a unique point in its history. Demand for our services is growing but our program cannot grow without additional space. For the past several years, Vinland has been operating at capacity at its main campus. Vinland has grown its off-site programming and adapted its existing spaces to keep pace with its growth. However, the organization cannot accommodate its current and future demand without a significant capital investment.
Vinland’s Expanding the Promise capital campaign goal is not to just meet current needs, but also to add the physical capacity necessary to carry Vinland into the next decade.
“This expansion will make a significant positive impact on Vinland’s capacity to provide life-changing programs to those who need them most,” said Vinland’s Executive Director Mary Roehl. “We have been operating at capacity with a waiting list for people trying to get into our program. The people that we cannot serve are not getting treatment or are placed in programs unable to meet their needs due to their multiple disabilities.”
Since 1990, Vinland has been providing tailored chemical health services to adults with cognitive disabilities and mental health issues. The program’s tailored focus has produced above-average results.
“Over 80 percent of our alumni report abstinence or reduced use and 71 percent report improvement in their quality of life,” Roehl said. “This relates to a decrease in future treatments and incarcerations, which is a cost savings to their communities.”
Expansion Plans
Phase One of the expansion will begin during spring of 2011. It will cost approximately $3.5 million and add a total of 14,130 square feet to Vinland’s main campus.
“Increased capacity will allow us to get the client into the appropriate treatment without unnecessary delays and will enable us to offer more complementary care services that are specifically designed to their unique needs,” Roehl said.
Phase One will include the following:
Additional Beds
Phase One will include 20 chemical health beds. These additional beds will help to reduce the waiting list for Vinland’s chemical health residential program.
Fitness Studio
The therapeutic exercise program is the largest complementary care service at Vinland. Each participant is provided with a personalized fitness program designed under the supervision of Vinland’s fitness and wellness manager. The current fitness center is in a windowless room with just enough space for the cardio and weight equipment. There is no appropriate space for group classes such as meditation and yoga, and participants currently lay their mats around the cardio equipment.
The new fitness studio will be an expansion of the current fitness center. Windows will fill the fitness studio with natural light and offer views of Lake Independence. An expanded fitness center will provide adequate space for group classes such as mindfulness meditation, yoga and the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi.
Dining Area & Kitchen
The new dining area and kitchen will more than double Vinland’s current cafeteria space. The expanded area will be large enough to accommodate meal preparation and food service for more than 100 people. The new kitchen will feature energy-efficient appliances as part of Vinland’s effort to create an environmentally-responsible expansion.
Meeting Rooms and Offices
New conference rooms and offices will be built to provide counseling space for the clients. The conference rooms will provide additional space for case managers to meet with clients, their families and social workers.
Vinland currently has three meeting areas for therapy groups. In these meeting areas Vinland not only provides group therapy but also complementary care services such as family programming, traumatic brain injury groups, and mindfulness-based meditation programming. New meeting rooms will provide space for Vinland to offer expanded therapy services.
Impact of Expansion
With the addition of physical space to its current campus, Vinland will be able to:
- Change the ratio of male/female beds as necessary.
- Provide a continuum of care in one location to meet clients’ needs more effectively.
- Allow community partners such as social service agencies, courts, healthcare providers and counties to know they can rely on Vinland to have rooms available for placement of their clients.
- Expand our mental health services. A large percentage of Vinland clients have mental health issues that require professional assistance.
