Mayo helps fund psychiatric services at Salvation Army

Psychiatric services to those who visit the Salvation Army in La Crosse in 2020 will be funded, in part, by Mayo Clinic Health System.

The medical giant presented a $15,000 check to the Salvation Army during a press conference on Friday.

According to Major Jeff Richardson, with the Salvation Army of La Crosse County, those services are vital to their clients.

“Many people who come to us have experienced some sort of trauma in their life, and it’s a big issue of why their homeless,” Richardson said.

Those using the Salvation Army are often chronically homeless, and Richardson sees even the acceptance of help as a sign of improvement.

The staff has a pretty good idea who could benefit from treatment.

“They come in and they go through an intake process, and then they meet with a case manager,” Richardson said. “The case manager runs a readiness assessment, which can be a good indicator if they need mental help.”

Paul Mueller, with Mayo, said they need entities like the Salvation Army on the front lines.

“Our community members don’t always access health care services directly with us as a first point of contact,” Mueller said. “This is a great program where we can support the Salvation Army as they’re providing those basic services.”

The money was raised during a company match day on December 21st during the red kettle campaign.