By Elizabeth Weaver
Intern
Two organizations aimed at helping populations in need are joining forces to have a greater impact on the lives of North Carolina’s at-risk children.
Coastal Horizons Center, Inc., a local provider of mental health, substance use and crisis response counseling, merged with Our Children’s Place, North Carolina’s advocate focused on supporting children of incarcerated parents to create Our Children’s Place of Coastal Horizons Center.
The two organizations have partnered together for years to support families enmeshed in the criminal justice system, and the merger allows them to more effectively serve children of incarcerated parents and ensure the necessary resources are available to support them.
“We look forward to working together to create a statewide community where children of incarcerated parents are recognized and supported rather than shamed and stigmatized,” said Karen Chapple, executive vice president of operations for Coastal Horizons Center. “The work of Our Children’s Place directly relates to the mission and beliefs of Coastal Horizons Center, and together we will expand our involvement in, and impact on, the lives of the families we serve.”
Coastal Horizons operates Open House Emergency Youth Shelter and Residential Services, a 24-hour access, nine-bed emergency shelter for area youth who are troubled, runaway, homeless, neglected or otherwise displaced for ages 6 to 18 and as a residential foster care facility some youth may stay until age 19.
Coastal also plans to join forces with Wilmington Health Access for Teens, also known as WHAT. By July 1 the two organizations will work together to serve adolescents and their families who experience a high demand for mental health services. With this management agreement Coastal and WHAT will be able to provide professional counseling and care services for victims going through crisis.
Joy Grady, executive director of WHAT said that as one entity, they will have greater impact and broader reach in the community.
Merging Coastal and WHAT, along with their services, will effectively position them to serve as one of the strongest adolescent health care providers in the region. A March 18 press release states they will work toward accomplishing a patient-centered experience with innovation initiatives that are intended to increase hope, healing, recovery, optimal wellness and connectivity for patients and their families.
“We are pleased to become part of Coastal Horizons Center, an organization with a long history of identifying community needs and providing opportunities for individual and families to make better choices,” said Chris Blue, board chair of Our Children’s Place. “We are excited about the chance to add the perspective of children of incarcerated parents to the work Coastal Horizons is doing throughout the state.”
