Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
GOGEBIC COUNTY Community Mental Health Authority's building, shown above, in Wakefield, was required to be the site of treatment for individuals suffering from mental illnesses and disabilities as part of the authority's initial quit claim property deed through the city and county. The authority has met that stipulation and will take official ownership of the property following its final bond payment in October.
WAKEFIELD - Gogebic County Community Mental Health Authority is set to receive the rights and clean title to property in Wakefield it has used and occupied since 1995, following its final, Oct. 1 payment of bonds issued for the erection of its buildings and structures.
"Community Mental Health will actually take ownership from the county because at the time the building was constructed, CMH couldn't own property," said Julie Hautala, CEO of the authority. "When we became an authority, we had that right."
The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution and, after the authority's last payment, will sign the quit claim deed, which will relinquish the property rights and title to the authority.
The Wakefield City Council supported the transition of rights unanimously at its meeting Sept. 8, and approved transfer of property rights in full to the authority following its final payment.
"(Gogebic County) Community Mental Health has done everything they said they were going to do at the time of this (initial deed) and more," said Wakefield City Council member Richard Bolen.
Part of the initial quit claim deed, issued from the city to the county, contained stipulations the authority had to meet, or the property would revert to the city.
"The reverter clause said we had two years to construct a building, and the building had to be for the purposes of community mental health serving individuals with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities," Hautala said.
The building's construction met the deadline, and for years, the authority has met the other stipulation by providing a number of services for both youth and adult county residents, including those facing severe depression and thoughts of suicide, said Tess Greenough, clinical services director.
This past week was National Suicide Prevention Week and Greenough said "suicide awareness is very important."
Greenough mentioned the first "Break the Silence, March through the Pain" walk organized by the Range Suicide Prevention Council held Saturday at Gogebic Community College as an example of organizations working to raise awareness.
She said the self-inflicted deaths of prominent people, such as actor Robin Williams, who committed suicide Aug. 11, bring the topic up front and raises awareness of the issue.
"Suicide can be prevented, depression can be treated," Greenough said. "People need to know we are available 24-7. There are trained listeners, crisis intervention staff; the hospital contacts us if someone is in service at the ER. They're always available, 24-7."
The Gogebic County CMHA has a 24-hour number for individuals seeking help with depression or suffering from suicidal thoughts. Crisis intervention staff can be reached at 1-800-348-0032.
