Youth can go to the treatment center for help with behavioral intervention, substance abuse treatment and mental health services.
Treatment at the Nicholas can be more intense and comprehensive than treatment kids receive outside of the center.
“Kids may not be getting that level of attention at home or out in the community,” Shafer said. “And having this kind of treatment locally allows us to engage the families, which makes for a smooth transition back home when the time comes.”
The new facility was formally the Dora Lee Tate Center. Shafer said before the remodel, the building was used by a variety of county offices for a variety of functions.
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“This has been a great collaboration between a lot of county agencies, like the (Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services), the juvenile court and the Board of County Commissioners,” Shafer said. “You don’t often see this level of cooperation.”
The Nicholas can house up to 40 kids. The facility currently has 24 beds and each resident gets their own room.
“There is also plenty of room for group and personal therapy,” Shafer said.
There is also a school inside the facility and a gymnasium that was dedicated in the memory of Judge Nick Kuntz.
Kids will move into the new treatment center on Monday.
“We’re giving the kids of Montgomery County what they deserve,” said Montgomery County Juvenile Judge Anthony Capizzi.
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