Building Strong Foundations in Scott & Dakota Counties

May 2, 2022

When people experience crises with mental illness, they are often forced to relocate for services many miles away from their own communities, families, and support systems. That’s why Guild has undertaken a major collaborative effort to better serve clients in Scott and Dakota Counties, quite literally building a foundation – and then building on top of it – for deepening Guild’s work in the area.

The Guild Crisis and Recovery Center in Savage is a state-of-the-art building in the city’s downtown that provides local, quality mental health and crisis care. While located in Scott County, the site also benefits the residents of Dakota County. Social Workers from Dakota County highlight that the Crisis & Recovery Center helps put clients at ease while being welcoming and therapeutic. They also champion the programming offered as engaging with excellent follow-through from staff.

“We are proud of the work our teams are doing at the Crisis & Recovery Center in Savage,” said Julie Bluhm, Guild CEO. “The positive impact on the community would not be possible without the ongoing partnership and support for building costs between Scott County, the City of Savage, and Dakota County.”

Staying Connected to Community 

Guild’s collaborative project “allows people to remain connected to their community and support system,” said Pam Selvig, Health & Human Services Director of Scott County. About the building, Selvig told us, “The individual rooms accommodated a wide range of abilities and cultures. We have heard the brand new facility with private space helped aid in client recovery as it felt like a ‘wellness retreat.”

It’s obvious to see The Guild Crises and Recovery Center benefits Guild’s clients, but it’s also true that the communities of Dakota and Scott Counties are more broadly served by the center. Savage’s Mayor, Janet Williams, shared that the “beautiful building provides 30 good-paying jobs” in downtown Savage. Mayor Williams also shared that one resident who lives with mental illness reported feeling comforted by knowing that help is just around the corner. Another family thought it was “truly wonderful” to have the mental health treatment facility so nearby for their loved one.

Guild’s own Teri Savoie reflected on what’s uniquely impactful about the center, she said, “The ability to have a safe, healing space to give the time and attention needed to focus on themselves. We are here to support individuals in one of their more vulnerable times in life – no one should feel they have to walk this journey alone.”

While the construction phase may be completed, the work is not done yet. The Crisis and Recovery Center is not only a place where people can get help, it’s also an inroad into communities that need more mental health services close to home. About this, Teri Savoie said, “The community is slowly learning more about who we are and the services we provide. All this to say, it takes time to build a foundation and we are doing so intentionally. We greatly value our community partners and look forward to fostering those relationships, along with new ones, into the future.”

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