Meeting the Growing Demand for Outpatient Programming
In the last couple of years, KPEP has seen a significant increase in our outpatient programs. On any given day, we provide outpatient services to 1,191 people in four communities, not including those who come in for drug testing services. The growth is driven by a couple factors:
- We are getting more referrals based on our reputation.
- We are making a concerted effort to bid on more of these services.
Because of this, we have had to address facility needs to provide adequate group space, create individual offices for treatment staff and, in some cases, reconfigure the space so it better meets the diverse needs of our clients, residents and staff.
In Muskegon, for instance, we added a mobile classroom, and in Berrien, we dedicated a wing for outpatient services and added a secure entrance to that wing.
Last fall we completed the renovation on a new administration building in Kalamazoo, moving staff from both the Park Street and Chicago Avenue locations. The former administration wing at Park is now being used for treatment services while some of the space at Chicago has been converted for residential use.
Finally, in February we completed renovations at our Calhoun Facility. The renovations addressed two problems: we needed more space and we needed to make better use of space.
You can read more about the Calhoun facility in the article, “KPEP Completes Major Renovations in Calhoun County,” in this issue of KPEP News.
Coffee Shop/Culinary Arts Program
We are very excited to announce a new community partnership and vocational training program for KPEP. In
partnership with Canteen Services, Michigan Career & Technical Institute (MCTI), Michigan Prisoner Reentry and
Michigan Works, we plan to open a coffee shop and bakery at the corner of Park and Walnut Streets in Kalamazoo.
We recently purchased the building, located next door to our administrative offices, and we will soon begin renovations on the property. We will work with our partners to develop a retail coffee shop and bakery and a culinary arts program providing vocational training for KPEP participants – programming called for in our 2015 strategic plan.
We are aiming at a fall 2016 opening. In the meantime, watch for more information in the next issue of KPEP News.
News from Heartline
In our 2015 annual report, we featured an article on our agreement with Lutheran Social Services of Michigan to manage the Heartline program in Detroit. We are pleased to report significant progress in both the agency’s programs and finances after the first four months of this agreement.
Unfortunately, we must also report that, due to governmental contract issues, this agreement was terminated at the end of February. The decision to terminate was mutual and was something both management teams felt was necessary in order to maintain a large contract.
We wish LSSM success moving forward and look forward to other possible collaborations as the opportunities arise.