MercyOne House of Mercy Dedicates Joseph & Dorothy Schuster Behavioral Health Center
January 25, 2021Des Moines, Iowa; January 26, 2021 – Today, MercyOne House of Mercy held a virtual dedication (which may be viewed here) for the Joseph & Dorothy Schuster Behavioral Health Center. The center, located in House of Mercy’s lower level, opened in November 2020 and will expand House of Mercy’s outpatient services by 50 percent.
Speakers at today’s event included:
- Kim Reynolds, Governor of the State of Iowa
- Laura Wenman, MercyOne Central Iowa Chief Mission Officer
- Rebecca Peterson, House of Mercy Director
- Shannon Cofield, MercyOne Des Moines Foundation President
- Angie Dethlefs-Trettin, Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Chief Community Impact Officer
- Brenda Krumel, House of Mercy Board Chair
The public may view the dedication on the MercyOne YouTube page.
“I commend MercyOne for opening the Schuster Behavioral Health Center at House of Mercy, expanding vital behavioral health services to even more Iowans in need,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Today’s dedication celebrates another important milestone for House of Mercy and the quality of health care services available in the state of Iowa.”
House of Mercy opened in 1988 and is one of Iowa’s most comprehensive providers of vital behavioral health services, and central Iowa’s largest treatment program for parenting women with children. The 501 (c) (3) organization is accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) and is licensed by the State of Iowa. House of Mercy uses evidence-based practices to provide high-quality, personalized care for each client.
With the addition of the Schuster Behavioral Health Center, House of Mercy is now one of a handful of locations in Central Iowa to offer treatment for parents and children, and to those with both mental health and substance abuse disorders. All major insurance providers are accepted and a sliding fee scale is offered to ensure affordability for all clients.
The center includes:
- 14 office spaces
- An observation room for therapy and for training
- Group therapy room
- A family/play therapy room
“It is important to MercyOne House of Mercy’s mission to care for the most vulnerable in our community. That is why we are so excited about the Schuster Behavioral Health Center, which will honor our values of excellence, compassion and reverence for all of our clients,” said Laura Wenman, MercyOne Central Iowa Chief Mission Officer.
This Schuster Behavioral Health Center was fully funded through philanthropy. The namesake of the center reflects a generous $490,000 estate gift – in fact the largest contribution to House of Mercy to date – from the late Joseph and Dorothy Schuster. Dorothy passed away one year ago at the age of 96, and the Schuster children desired for the funds to support families in need.
In addition to the Schuster gift, the Center is also made possible through a $100,000 Leadership Grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, a gift from GuideOne Foundation and Prairie Meadows, among other contributors.
“Philanthropy is transformative, and the generosity of our community demonstrates the importance of evidence-based behavioral health services in our community,” said MercyOne Des Moines Foundation President Shannon Cofield.
