Open Door mental health center, set to close in January, secures funding to stay open this year
Open Door will stay open this year but will offer reduced services due to limited funding.
Alex Garner
SHEBOYGAN - Open Door was notified earlier this month that its funding was cut, and it would close Jan. 31. But with a secured source of funding, now it’s staying open through 2023.
The Sheboygan Press has confirmed that Vista Care and Sheboygan County Health and Human Services have reached a conditional agreement of about $158,400 (the same contract amount as last year) to continue funding the drop-in mental health center at 817 N. Eighth St. this year.
Open Door services will be reduced, and Vista Care President and Owner Tim Frey said Vista Care is determining this week what can be provided.
“While services will be reduced, Vista Care appreciates the opportunity to continue providing this valuable service to Sheboygan County citizens,” Liz Morrell, Vista Care CEO, said in an email.
The updated agreement comes after the department notified Vista Care that it was ending Open Door's funding for 2023. Without its sole source of funding, Open Door was slated to close at the end of January.
The department was notified that costs of several Vista Care programs were “significantly” increasing this year, said Matthew Strittmater, director of Sheboygan County Health and Human Services.
Strittmater said the initial request for Open Door services was roughly $268,200.
Additional funding was sought because of an increase in demand and over $200,000 in losses incurred from the operation of Open Door and two other services in the county, Morrell said.
She added that associated costs and participation at Open Door have increased since 2019, but Vista Care had not requested increases in yearly funding before this year.
The county initially told Vista Care that it was unable to fund Open Door, though it was a “very worthwhile service,” Morell said.
Before securing funds, Vista Care planned to temporarily extend services through Feb. 28 and incur the costs. This would support “a positive transition for the people who utilize its services and outweighs the expense Vista Care will incur to do so without funding,” Morrell said.
Strittmater said the department and Vista Care are working to determine what services Open Door can provide this year with its increased costs.
"We are hopeful the next state biennial budget will bring enhanced mental health funding to help counties sustain this and other valuable services," Strittmater said.
In his annual State of the State address, Gov. Tony Evers declared 2023 "the year of mental health," and proposed to spend $500 million dedicated to mental health and behavioral services.
Morrell said Vista Care hasn’t reached out to the state for funding but is open to conversations "regarding the significant increase in utilization of mental health and substance use disorder services as well as the need for funding that accounts for increased labor costs."
This story is developing.
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Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexx_garner.