Jefferson County opens Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility

01.16.2024 - Ava Buttacavoli, DAILY JEFFERSON COUNTY UNION

WATERTOWN — Jefferson County officials celebrated the grand opening of a new Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility last Tuesday, hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony with some of the project’s key contributors.

The Matz Center, formerly part of Bethesda’s Camp Matz, is an eight-bedroom facility with the ability to house “four boys and four girls while providing short-term crisis stabilization in a community-based setting,” a recent Jefferson County press release said.

The goal of the new center is to prevent, deescalate and treat mental health crises to avoid admission to a more restrictive setting.

County Administrator Ben Wehmeier called the grand opening “a story of vision and collaboration,” thanking the Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin Community Services (WCS) and Jefferson County Human Services staff.

“For the city of Watertown, this is in their backyard. I really appreciate the mayor, the chiefs, the city council- all that they did to help make this happen and believing in this vision, that we need something to help the kids in this area,” Weimeier said.

Tina Crave, Greater Watertown Health Foundation President and CEO, also spoke on the collaboration it took to carry out the vision, which started with the “Every Child Thrives” network in 2016.

“Together, we align the limited resources of all of our agencies to solve big problems like kindergarten readiness, access to housing and access to quality early childcare,” Crave said. “So I think this is a lot of collaboration that the whole state can follow.”

Deputy Secretary Deb Standridge also took to the podium, noting 2023’s “Year of Mental Health” as declared by governor Tony Evers.

“Today, we’re actually living out that part of his vision,” she said.

Standridge further spoke on the facility’s importance to the Watertown area, grouping it with “an ongoing effort to ensure state residents of all ages with mental health concerns have access to care at the right place at the right time.”

“The facility provides a young person an opportunity to recover from distress, in a very supportive and structured environment. It is a short-term program designed to help the individual return home as quickly as possible,” Standridge said.

According to Standridge, similar facilities have also been installed in Milwaukee and Wausau, with “proven success and outcomes that we can all be proud of.”

Jefferson County Human Services will serve as fiscal agent to the Watertown facility, holding the lease, license and control admissions. WCS will run day-to-day operations, while the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation owns the facility.

The Matz Center will provide mental health crisis stabilization 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, giving temporary structure, clinical treatment and care required to meet the needs of the child, the press release stated.

“We are continuously interested in evolving and expanding our service array for children and families, and the opportunity to open a Youth Crisis Stabilization facility in our backyard is a great addition to our community,” Jefferson County Human Services Director Brent Ruehlow said.

“We know children and families are best served in their community following evidence-based practices, while avoiding the trauma of a major disruption. The Matz Center will accomplish that for many families.”