Three mental health and healing organizations in the state are consolidating to create a single integrated healing agency.
The Compass Center, Family Services Inc. and Move to Heal South Dakota are combining to create a more comprehensive organization. The new company name is Solace and has been in the works for a little over a year.
Representatives for the company say the organizations already had similar missions and passion for helping individuals recovering from trauma.
Sydney Bartunek is currently the Chief Development and Communications Officer of the Compass Center. At a press conference, she explained the greater impact a unified company can offer to individuals recovering from trauma.
“First, Solace crisis care: This is immediate intervention for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and child abuse at no cost to the survivor. Next Solace therapy center: that is our clinical mental health services for all ages," Bartunek said. "Next, Solace healing arts: the trauma informed body-based approaches for youth impacted by adverse childhood experiences. And finally, Solace community outreach: Prevention, education and outreach, such as our youth voices and prevention, employee assistance programs and our ability to work with first responders in our community.”
She added that combining the three organizations allows for more entry points.
“By combining the three organizations it allows for more entry points. A natural one that comes to mind is the healing arts. That really follows the line of trauma stored in the body. So, when somebody maybe chooses to do a yoga or a dance expression course with us first, that they might otherwise come and use some of the other services too," Bartunek said. "So, they might find themselves with our clinical team, or they might need crisis support. It kind of depends. So, it really opens the door for more opportunities to have people experience mental health services that would not otherwise be possible.”
Company representatives say combining can also centralize their operations and optimize the organization, which allows more resources to go towards the frontline services directly. That could lead to more therapists, more resources for crisis care advocates and more.
They said the new “one-stop shop” in a single space made sense to have a more regional impact.
