Crook County mental health services under one roof
Crook County’s mental health services soon will be under one roof — and it’s a familiar one to many residents, the community’s former hospital.
NewsChannel 21 first reported when Lutheran Community Services Northwest bought the former Pioneer Memorial Hospital building in 2016. Now, they’re less than a month away from the ribbon-cutting.
The organization has been providing mental health services to the county for 30 years. The nearly 100,000-square-foot building will provide a central location in Prineville for mental health services and more.
“We’re renovating this building, so we’re only occupying about 15,000 square feet of the 98,000 square feet right now,” Julie Leutschaft, the human resources business partner for Lutheran Community Services, said Friday. “And so we’re going to be expanding out and having different community uses for the building. So we’re really excited about it.”
Glenda Miller is now a staff member at Lutheran, but said she used to be in need of the services herself. She’s in long-term recovery after having a drug addiction and mental illness.
Miller said she was ready to die, but thanks Lutheran’s programs and counselors for bringing her back. Now she’s helping others.
“My life has turned around. People with mental illness and drug addictions, their lives can be completely turned around. I have seen it time and time again in the two years that I’ve been here.”
The staff is busy getting the space ready for the open house and ribbon cutting on Friday, Feb 16. The event will be held from 8 a.m to noon at 1103 Northeast Elm Street in Prineville.
