New Residential Facility to Open in Maplewood

Community Foundations Gets New Home

On Friday, April 13, South Metro Human Services (SMHS) hosted a “Wall Breaking” and informal open house for friends and supporters to see the future home of Community Foundations before it is transformed into a new, purpose-built Intensive Residential Treatment Services facility. Maplewood Mayor Will Rossbach attended the event and inaugurated the renovation by breaking a wall with a golden sledge hammer. South Metro Human Services President Tom Paul and Clinical Director Terry Schneider also participated in the “Wall Breaking” ceremony.

Community Foundations’ new home at 1111 Viking Drive East (at the intersection of Highway 36 and Route 61) in Maplewood will provide 16-units of transitional housing for adults diagnosed with mental illness. For the past 25-years, Community Foundations, a program of SMHS, has operated in a turn-of-the-century brownstone in St. Paul. But the building is no longer ideal for residential treatment and SMHS believes the people they serve deserve an updated facility that is more conducive to recovery.

"We are excited to create a new Intensive Residential Treatment Services building for our clients and believe it will be one of the best in Minnesota," states South Metro Human Services President Tom Paul. "This new home for our Community Foundations program will allow our staff to offer critical services in an environment specifically designed for therapeutic treatment and recovery."

In 2009, the agency began looking for a new location that could provide better housing, increased safety and a better environment for treatment. Last summer, SMHS received approval from the City of Maplewood to relocate Community Foundations to Viking Drive. Recently, the agency purchased the property (a former “Ethan Allen” retail store) and is now in the process of transforming the 2,500 square foot space.

Once the building is renovated, SMHS staff will be able to offer critical services in a setting specifically designed for therapeutic treatment and recovery. Each client will have an individual living unit with studio-style sleeping area and a private bath. Indoor and outdoor communal spaces will provide comfort and the opportunity for community building in a relaxed setting. The building will be fully ADA accessible and will also include counseling, meeting and office space, as well as a commercial kitchen. The renovation is expected to be completed later this year.

For more information, visit www.south-metro.org or call Stephen Devereux at 651-256-1250.

About South Metro Human Services

Founded in 1986, South Metro Human Services (SMHS) provides respectful treatment and dignified transitional housing for adults diagnosed with mental illness or chemical dependence. Each year, the professional, caring and compassionate staff serves more than 2,500 clients in the Twin Cities. Community Foundations, a program of SMHS, offers a full range of treatment services in a residential setting with staff support provided 24-hours a day.