A company building solar farms in Clark County has put $15,000 behind the agency that treats its neighbors.
RWE Americas, which is developing utility scale solar projects in the county, has been named HRC’s Sponsor of the Month for September, the highest sponsorship level the nonprofit offers. The gift supports HRC’s work across Clark County, where the agency has served residents for more than fifty years.
“Clark County is where our projects are, but more importantly it is where our neighbors are,” said Mark Desmond, Manager of Utility Scale Development at RWE Americas. “HRC has been taking care of people here for more than fifty years, and we are glad to be part of keeping that work going.”
Most people in Clark County know HRC as a Paris agency. The numbers say otherwise. In the agency’s most recent six month reporting period, 386 people, or 48 percent of HRC’s outpatient mental health clients, were Clark County residents. Nobody waited in line to be one of them. Everyone who asked for mental health or substance use treatment during that period was enrolled within two weeks, and most much sooner.
“In a lot of rural places, the hardest part of getting mental health care is simply getting to it,” said Susan Tybon, HRC’s Executive Director. “Our goal is that no one in Clark County has to choose between a long drive, a long wait, and going without.”
A good share of that care never happens in an office at all. HRC places mental health therapists inside area school districts, including Martinsville and Casey in Clark County, so students can be seen during the school day.
At the Forsythe Center at 406 N. 2nd St. in Marshall, six treatment groups meet regularly, covering trauma recovery through wellness planning.
HRC also contracts with area employers to provide employee assistance program services, and its recovery support staff lead regular education sessions at nursing homes, senior centers, preschools, and health fairs across both counties.
For anyone in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24 hours a day, and HRC staff work across the county to move people from a hard moment into ongoing care.
“When a company chooses to put down roots here, this is what we hope it looks like,” Tybon said. “RWE asked what Clark County needs, and then they showed up for it.”
HRC provides outpatient counseling for all ages, substance use treatment, crisis support, disability services, and employment programs from its offices in Paris and at the Forsythe Center in Marshall. To learn more, access services, or explore a sponsorship, visit hrcec.org or call 217-465-4118.
HRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, known as CARF International
