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Improving access to mental health services has been a priority for me for years and we’ve made a lot of progress on that front.
But last week, with the generous support from Roger Penske and the Penske Family Foundation, we took an even bigger step toward realizing that goal.
Armed with a $3 million pledge from the Penske Family Foundation, we can move forward with a permanent home for the Integrated Care Center, which offers critical physical and mental health care and wraparound services to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
We soft-launched this initiative in May and already, more than 850 people have sought care at the clinic, where residents who can’t make it to a doctor’s office or other types of clinics during business hours can come for medical help and wraparound service.
It's also a place where first responders can turn for appropriate care for people in crisis.
The foundation’s pledge will help open a permanent standalone clinic on Woodward in Pontiac, slated to open in February.
It’s not the first time Roger has come through for Oakland County. When we were in desperate need of personal protection equipment and a place to store those critical items during the early days of the COVID pandemic, Roger offered a warehouse on Telegraph that we used for more than a year.
That kind and substantial assistance provided the bridge we needed to help residents and businesses, doctors’ offices and hospitals get all the PPE they needed.
And now his commitment to the community is helping the residents of Oakland County once again. It’s a legacy that we’re honored to be a part of.
As we announced the pledge, Roger said that as people with a public profile, we need to be leaders and set an example for our family and neighbors as well as make decisions that will have the most impact.
“These are not dollars that we’re sending to some association,” Roger said. “These are dollars that are going directly to help the people who live in our cities. We are proud to partner with Oakland County.”
And, along with Honor Community Health, the Oakland Community Health Network, Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency and Trinity Health, we’re delighted to be a partner with the remarkable Penske Family Foundation.
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