“Oftentimes, not-for-profits, because we’re not for profit, we end up in spaces that really don’t work for what we do,” said Michelle De La Riva, executive director of CFR.

Previously, CFR ran its programs out of three different locations across Fort Dodge. For its adolescent residential program, it used the former nunnery at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. For its adult residential program, it used a building of the former Mercy Hospital on South 17th Street. And for its outpatient services, it rented an old warehouse on the north end of town on North 15th Street.

“It used to be a warehouse where they made fishing tackle,” De La Riva said. “It really wasn’t built for what we do.”

CFR’s mission is to be “dedicated to proactively assisting individuals, families and communities achieve healthy behavior and lifestyle through advocacy, prevention and treatment of substance abuse, problem gambling and mental illness.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
CFR Executive Director Michelle De La Riva and Ryan Cottington check out one of the counselor’s offices in the outpatient department.

In addition to its residential treatment and detox programs in Fort Dodge, CFR provides outpatient behavioral health services in Boone, Calhoun, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Story, Webster and Wright counties. CFR serves more than 1,000 individuals each quarter, De La Riva said.

The project was 10 years in the making, De La Riva said. A decade of planning, organizing, raising funds and a capital campaign came to fruition last summer.

“We really wanted to make our space something that was very well put together so that we can monitor client safety, as well as making it really feel like home so that people can come in and feel like they’re not in an institution or a hospital, but really feel like it’s welcoming,” De La Riva said. “So we worked on the colors … really trying to make it homey, bright, comforting, welcoming.”

CFR’s various programs are housed in different areas of the building. On the main floor near the front are the outpatient services like therapy and counseling.

Also on the main floor is the detox unit. In order to keep detox clients comfortable, each room is set up with a hospital-like bed, and it is the only unit with TVs in the bedrooms.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Michelle De La Riva, executive director of Community and Family Resources, at right, along with service dog in training Smore, show a group of employees around the new facility as it neared completion.

The adult residential treatment programs are also on the main floor, separated into a men’s wing and a women’s wing. Outside the two wings are two gender-neutral bedrooms to provide space for clients who may not feel comfortable in a women’s wing or in a men’s wing.

Each wing has bedrooms, which are set up much like college dorm rooms. There are group therapy rooms on the wings, as well as communal spaces similar to a living room and a kitchenette.

De La Riva said that while the furniture in the living room spaces is made to be functional and durable, it’s also meant to be comfortable and not clinical, to make the residents feel more at home.

The wings also have laundry facilities with laundry soaps provided so residents have one less thing to worry about while they’re there, she said.

The new facility, and having the adult residential programs separated by gender, has helped expand the programs, De La Riva said.

“Our adult residential program last quarter had an average of 33 people in the program,” she said. “Last year, our average was 24.”

Typically, the adult program lasts about 30 days, although some may stay longer, she said.

On the second floor is the adolescent residential wing, which can house up to 16 residents. To be in the adolescent program, the individual must be under the age of 18 and enrolled in school. While in the program, the teens attend school in a classroom located on the residential wing.

“Our adolescent program is one of four in the state of Iowa, so we do get kids from all over the state,” De La Riva said.

In addition to making the residential programs feel more home-like and welcoming, CFR’s new facility adds a few new amenities for CFR clients.

A wellness room gives clients a space to exercise, stretch, practice yoga and more.

“Hiring the perfect wellness coordinator was pure luck,” De La Riva said. “We were looking for somebody who believed in whole health.”

Across from the wellness room is a cafeteria and full kitchen where residents can eat their meals.

Something that was lacking from the other facilities that the new one has plenty of is green space. There is an expansive backyard with a privacy fence, giving residents plenty of outdoor access. Each residential wing has a closed-in patio outside as well.

“We also hold our groups outside,” De La Riva added.

De La Riva said the feedback from clients and staff has been “really wonderful.”

Going forward, CFR is going to be working on its marketing and communication, as well as expanding its same-day access, De La Riva said. They’ll be “getting a feel of how things flow” and working on getting fully staffed so they can fully implement all of their programs, she added.

But top of the list is marketing its services so people know what’s available to them and to not be ashamed to seek help, the director said.

“Only 10 percent of people who have substance use disorders actually come in for treatment,” she said. “I think it has a lot to do with stigma. We certainly are trying to work on that, too. Trying to encourage people to see that substance use disorders and mental health disorders are just like any other chronic condition. You shouldn’t be ashamed.”

For the residential treatment programs, a client has to have a substance use disorder to qualify for the program, De La Riva said, but they will also receive any mental health treatment they may need. For clients seeking outpatient mental health services, an underlying substance use disorder is not required, she said.

De La Riva said CFR “very rarely” turns a client away for not being able to afford the services. CFR works with many insurance companies, she said. But for those who don’t have insurance, or have one that CFR doesn’t work with, CFR has a sliding pay scale and payment plans available.

“We do want people to be able to come in,” she said.

De La Riva is proud of the new CFR facility and grateful for the support from the community and the businesses who helped construct the facility for getting it done on time and on budget.

“It’s very rare that a not-for-profit has the opportunity to build what they need,” she said. “We feel just so incredibly blessed to have that opportunity to be able to do this.”