Methodist Children’s Home Society begins work on a state-of-the-art facility that will provide a mental health lifeline for vulnerable youth in Detroit’s underserved communities.
FAITH GREEN TIMMONS
Michigan Conference Communications
Methodist Children’s Home Society (MCHS) Family of Services is changing lives and outcomes. For over 100 years, the childcare agency, founded by Methodist women, has been serving children and families in Michigan. MCHS provides a range of services, including housing, education, clinical counseling, and therapeutic services, such as art and music therapy, for abused and neglected children.
Edward is one among them. He said he had no guidance until encountering counselors at MCHS five years ago. Before that, Edward felt he was facing life’s ups and downs alone without any worthy mentors. Today, he thanks MCHS for all that has changed. Now confidently entering adulthood, the 18-year-old said that he is mastering essential life skills with the help of MCHS: “I learned how to open a bank account, budget correctly, and basically mature.” Edward’s last name has been intentionally withheld for confidentiality, but he is excited to share what he gained from MCHS’s services. His tangible abilities have expanded and been enhanced, leaving him abundantly grateful for the life-changing counseling and therapy he received at MCHS.
Throughout Detroit, thousands of children and teens face challenges similar to those that once burdened Edward’s life and heart. This spring, renovation will begin on a 55,000-square-foot facility dedicated to helping MCHS better meet those needs. The state-of-the-art facility on Detroit’s northwest side will serve as a walk-in site for mental health services for youth under age 25. It will feature modern therapy rooms, educational spaces, and recreational areas to provide a holistic approach to mental health care. The facility will also afford room for transitional housing for older youth aging out of the foster system, parenting classes, adoption services, and offices for dozens of programs to serve the needs of up to 2,200 youth.
MCHS is an EngageMI Ministry Partner of the Michigan Conference, and local churches throughout the state can come alongside the agency as it seeks to achieve this vital goal. The support of local churches across the connection is integral to MCHS for addressing the urgent needs of thousands of children.
MCHS CEO Kevin Roach explained the situation: “The city of Detroit and surrounding communities are grappling with a critical mental health crisis among young people, a challenge well-documented yet underserved by available resources.” Dwindling access to emergency health care and behavioral assistance due to crowding at traditional facilities has created an urgent situation, especially for vulnerable youth in underserved communities. “This new facility is not just a building; it’s a lifeline. It will make a host of resources available to transform the lives of thousands of children and families across southeast Michigan,” added Roach.
The Tudor Revival mansion, built in 1931, has served many purposes over the years. In recent years, it housed the Salvation Army Denby Center for Children & Family Services. After changing hands multiple times, MCHS began fundraising to purchase and renovate the four-acre property.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread challenges among Detroit’s youth have multiplied. Ironically, MCHS opened in 1917 amid similar conditions. A deadly Spanish flu outbreak took the lives of many, sadly leaving many children without parents. Sophie Sprague and Anna Kresge purchased a small home that initially housed 10 boys. Mrs. Sprauge was the superintendent of the Deaconess Home, and the Kresge family owned the nation’s largest discount retailer, later renamed Kmart. Together, they pooled resources. However, the need for more space quickly became apparent. That’s when Kresge and Sprague looked to their bishop for assistance in creating a haven for children without families and those with inadequate home care.
In the nearly 110 years since its establishment, MCHS has moved and expanded multiple times. This century-long journey of service is a testament to MCHS’s resilience and commitment to its original mission. This history of dedication and adaptability serves as proof of MCHS’s steadfast commitment to its cause.
The support of local churches across the Michigan connection has long helped MCHS address the unique struggles of young clients. “Those who need treatment for mental health issues typically go to emergency rooms outside of [their own] neighborhoods, or they do not seek help at all. Existing hospitals and mental health centers are overwhelmed and do not have the proper capacity,” said Roach. “MCHS offers services for at-risk kids who have experienced neglect and abuse. We design programs to help improve the outcomes in their lives and keep families intact, if possible, in a safe and healthy environment,” added board president Eric Pelton.
MCHS Director of Clinical Services Antonio Armstrong, said, “Mental health is everything. Mental health is not just getting better, but understanding the trials and tribulations that come with daily life for some people.” MCHS addresses needs that some families find difficult to tackle. “It is the traumas that we are, or are not, willing to face. It is the loneliness that you wake up with and go to sleep with, and it is something that is not easy for any one person to do without a little bit of help,” added Armstrong. MCHS specializes in providing that assistance. “Each day, we create a space for kids to explore a topic that was too scary to explore before,” Armstrong explained.
Reagan Woodward, an MCHS residential therapist, emphasized, “Mental health is important because it affects every facet of their lives. We also do family therapy. It’s really rewarding knowing that I have a part in making their lives more successful and happier than they were because they deserve it.” Eighteen-year-old Edward just graduated from the program, and he agrees: “I have been with MCHS for 5 years. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I have always managed to push through, thanks to the staff’s help and the therapy that they have provided. With every hardship or crack in the road ahead of you, they will be there to help you get to the best of your abilities. There have been multiple times when I think I would not be here if it were not for MCHS.” Edward’s success story is one of many that emphasize the impact of MCHS. Each one is a testament to the transformative power of MCHS’s services and the potential for positive change in the lives of the youth.
“We as a community are finally coming to terms with the fact that it is okay to have mental issues. It’s okay to talk about them and try to support each other. MCHS has made this a focus not only for the next several years but also as we move forward into the next century,” said CEO Ken Roach. “Caring is central to the work that we do,” he added, “and out of all that came the idea of the Center for Pediatric Health and Wellness to be located in northwest Detroit. This will give us 50,000 square feet to help thousands of families and children with mental and physical health services. It will be a place to play that feels like home and transforms lives throughout southeast Michigan.”
“When renovations are complete on the mansion, MCHS will bring together mental health services for youth with programs provided by partners in physical health, education, and afterschool/recreation as part of a three-pronged approach to helping youth in need of mental health services,” Roach said. “This means more access to services so that more people who are not well can get better,” stated Armstrong.
EngageMI is the mission engagement program of the Michigan Conference. Click here to learn more about the program and how your church can get involved. Methodist Children’s Home Society (CCMM#3016) is an Engage Ministry Partner here in Michigan. Click here to visit MCHS’s website and learn more.