Vision Brookings Invests in Workforce Resilience Through Behavioral Health Support
Vision Brookings is a volunteer organization that enables private organizations and citizens to invest in game-changing initiatives that accelerate growth and prosperity in the Brookings area. One such investment is the Ivy Center Expansion, a community-driven initiative led by Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness that significantly expands access to behavioral health services across the region.
A strong workforce depends not only on jobs and skills, but also on access to essential supports that allow individuals and families to thrive. Behavioral health plays a direct role in employee stability, retention, and performance, particularly in communities facing elevated rates of depression, trauma, and substance use. By investing in projects that improve access to care, Vision Brookings helps ensure local employers can recruit, retain, and support a resilient workforce.
The $6.1 million Ivy Center Expansion tripled the size of the county’s behavioral health facility and doubled service capacity, reducing wait times and strengthening crisis response, school-based services, and community partnerships. The newly expanded 21,000-square-foot facility includes 41 clinical offices and expanded program space, supporting a projected 50 percent increase in staff over time and reinforcing local behavioral health workforce development through university training pathways.
More than $5.8 million has been raised through city, county, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, philanthropic, and private partners. Vision Brookings’ $250,000 investment, just over four percent of the total project cost, helps complete the campaign while leveraging approximately $23 from other sources for every $1 invested. The facility is already fully operational and serves more than 2,000 clients annually, supporting working families, reducing absenteeism, and improving workforce readiness throughout the region.
“This investment reflects Vision Brookings’ focus on game-changing, catalytic, high-leverage investments in support of the ecosystem that supports economic growth,” said Carla Gatzke, Vision Brookings Board President. “Vision Brookings investment in the Ivy Center, along with significant investment by others, enables increasing workforce support in our area well into the future.”
Through strategic investments like the Ivy Center Expansion, Vision Brookings continues to support game-changing initiatives that strengthen workforce resilience, enhance quality of life, and position Brookings for long-term economic success.
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