Organization takes on new leadership as it adds primary healthcare in Howard Co.
This article is brought to you by the Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market. Saturday, July 27, is MARKET DAY! Head downtown to the intersection of Mulberry and Washington streets where you’ll find a fantastic array of home-grown goods and homemade crafts! Local vendors and artisans gather each week to provide fresh and healthy food options, fun and educational activities for kids, live music, and so much more. And don’t miss the Kokomo Howard County Public Library’s Bookmobile, which will stop by for stories and a great morning of activities from 9 a.m. until noon.
For more information, visit the Kokomo Farmers Market Facebook page. We’ll see you on Saturday!
Shelby fought addiction from the age of 11. Now 33, she is sober thanks to her time with Turning Point A System of Care. Not only did Turning Point’s Recovery Cafe give her a place to grow in her sobriety, she plans on becoming a peer coach to help others on their recovery journey.
"These are my people. This is my place," said Shelby.
"I'm Daniel. I've been an alcoholic for 30 years. I died three times trying to quit. Alcoholism is something you cannot just let go. It consumed my life. I came to Turning Point, and the first thing I learned was I was in a room with my peers. There was no judging. These people have been through what I've been through; some even more so, some less. But you're talking to people who can relate."
Recovery Cafe members hold signs depicting the struggles they faced before finding help with Turning Point.
"I'm Tina, and if it wasn't for the Recovery Cafe, I probably wouldn't still be sober. I am very grateful for the staff here and also for the members. They are here to not only help, but also to encourage us to keep our sobriety."
The Recovery Café was filled with people who could and did share similar stories. The café has become a haven for hundreds of people who are struggling with addictions and mental illness. But it – and Turning Point – are about to become so much more.
Members, staff, and community leaders gathered at Turning Point last week to celebrate the successes realized over the past six years of the organization’s existence. They filled the Recovery Café and listened to stories of recovery. They also learned what comes next. No longer will Turning Point simply offer recovery and treatment for addictions and mental illness. It recently agreed to merge with the Jane Pauley Community Health Center, bringing the promise of “Whole Body Care” to their clients.
Turning Point board president and co-founder Paul Wyman welcomed the assemblage to the event.
“Your presence here means you’re part of our journey, and that means everything to us because it really takes a lot of folks to make this journey possible,” said Wyman. “We believe that the dignity of every human life is of the highest value. Somebody who has an addiction is worth no less than anybody else.
“We're all in this together. We love each other. We always will. And we'll continue to do great things, not only by the grace of God, but by the hands of everybody in this room.”
Wyman explained that a few months ago, he was introduced to Mark Hackett, CEO of The Jane Pauley Community Health Center. The two quickly realized that their organizations could benefit each other.
“The ‘what ifs’ started to pop up about the opportunity for us to join forces,” said Wyman. “What would that truly look like? Jane Pauley has primary care. We don't. We have tremendous care for recovery and addiction and mental health service. They don't. All of a sudden the conversation started to lead to what can we possibly do together."
That led to the merger of the two organizations, which proved timely. Turning Point had just lost its founding executive director, Dr. Matt Oliver. That allowed Jerry Landers, who had served on the Turning Point board of directors for the past two years to step into the leadership role.
"Jerry was actually in the process of joining Jane Pauley during this whole thing," said Wyman. "Sometimes things just align for the right reasons. Things come together."
New Turning Point CEO Jerry Landers
Landers explained that he and Oliver worked together to form a plan to evolve Turning Point into a federally qualified health center. The task would be daunting and faced many obstacles, but the merger immediately alleviates that burden.
"When Jane Pauley reached out to me and offered me a position with them, they were moving into Kokomo with their primary care, family practice, obstetrics, and pediatrics,” said Landers. “It's just serendipitous. Everything lined up."
Bringing primary care services to the members Turning Point serves is vital. Statistically, those suffering from untreated mental illness die 25 earlier than their peers because of their inability to access or navigate the primary care health system. Addicts fare even worse, passing away 35-40 years earlier than their peers, as all life decisions eventually revolve around the next fix for an addict.
Turning Point is wasting no time following the merger. An architect visited the facility earlier this week to begin drawing out the addition of a primary care facility on site. The vision of “whole body care” is coming into focus quickly.
"There's a lot of things that have to be done, a lot of hoops that we still have to jump through,” said Landers. “But within the next 9-12 months, we will be offering primary care out of this facility.”
Turning Point A System of Care exists to transform the community through compassionate and life-changing recovery support. It is a safe place for people to embrace the recovery journey and create their best lives.
The Recovery Café is designed as a safe and structured, judgment-free zone where individuals can connect with peers, receive support, and access free meals.
For additional information about Turning Point and Recovery Café, visit www.turningpointsoc.org.
The Jane Pauley Community Health Center was founded in 2009 with the help of the Community Health Network and become a federally qualified health center in 2011. It provides accessible, respectful, and integrated healthcare to all, regardless of insurance status. For additional information about the organization, visit www.janepauleychc.org.