Gerard gifted $20K from Hormel Foundation to expand community mental health services
Published 9:38 am Friday, December 21, 2018
- Gerard Academy received $20,000 to renovate this small building to expand office space for their outpatient therapists. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Renovations will be made to accommodate therapists
With a gift from The Hormel Foundation, Gerard Academy is looking at some extra space.
Gerard Academy received a $20,000 grant from The Hormel Foundation that will be used toward renovations on a current building on the academy’s campus that will house two additional therapists’ office for Gerard Community Mental Health Services, according to Nicole Dudycha, communications manager.
“We’re renovating that building so that we can have two more therapists offices,” Dudycha said. “We’re already on top of each other (with space) and so we can fill the need of the community even more.”
Gerard Academy started with a residential program for 50 years, and about three or four years ago, branched out into community mental health services and outpatient services. Currently, Gerard has three full-time and one part-time therapists for outpatient care. Gerard also has two interns and a supervisor.
Karen Wolfe, director at the Gerard Academy in Austin. Herald file photo
Karen Wolff, executive director of Gerard Academy, stated that these renovations would mostly benefit the outpatient staff with spacing, but hopes to add additional therapists to help cater to the needs of the community.
“We’ve got our plans to start next week as long as the stars line up with our contractors,” Wolff said. “We are extremely grateful to The Hormel Foundation to provide mental health services to the community, and we appreciate them being a part of our mission in providing mental health services to the community.”