Martell – Mental Health America of California celebrated the opening of its new wellness and recovery center Wednesday afternoon with a Barbeque lunch and open house. Volunteers and officials from a variety of agencies were in attendance to enjoy tri-tip steak sandwiches and share in celebrating the new center located at 12265 Martell Road in Jackson. “We’re happy about this location because there’s a tremendous need up here and there aren’t very many services to meet that need,” said Susan Gallagher, Executive Director of Mental Health America. Although the center has officially been open since July, the open house was arranged in order to reveal its new title, the “Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center.” The center was made possible through a grant of $250,000 from Proposition 63, passed in 2004. Also known as the Mental Health Services Act, Prop 63 levies an additional 1 percent state tax on incomes of $1 million or greater to fundamental health services programs. According to David Schroeder, a family and youth advocate coordinator and the center’s director, that funding will have to last until next June when there will be another financial evaluation. Gallagher said Schroeder was chosen as center director because he has five years experience working at another center in Sacramento and because of his “passion for self-help support services.” Schroeder said this is a “unique” center in Amador County because it provides medical, psychiatric, socialization and other support services to both individuals and families. He said it is also unique because “Amador County has formally expanded that to include people with drug and alcohol addictions.” He said mental illness and substance abuse are often interrelated because mentally ill people “often self-medicate with alcohol and street drugs.” Apparently the need for these services locally is great. Sierra Wind served 87 people in its first month and now serves over 164 people. “The focal point primarily is to re-teach people with mental illness how to live their life,” said Schroeder. The overall goal is for Sierra Wind to become more than just a center and an integral part of the community. ARTS Director James Means recently installed a bus stop directly in front of the center. The Church of the Nazarene provides one or two hot meals each week for clients, and a top Sacramento chef volunteered his time to cook the free lunch. Schroeder said this assistance in turn encourages center clients to volunteer at these other organizations. Mental Health America, a non-profit formally known as Mental Health of Sacramento, is the oldest advocacy mental health organization in the United States. For more information on services provided at the Sierra Wind Center, or to volunteer your assistance, call 209-223-1956. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.