BINGHAMTON, N.Y.(WBNG) — Catholic Charities has opened the Common Ground Wellness Center in Binghamton, a facility aimed at improving mental health and supporting recovery. The center was made possible with funding from Broome County Mental Health.
“Common Ground is a safe and welcoming space for anybody who identifies as having a mental health issue,” Supervisor of the Common Ground Wellness Center Brandon Campbell said. “It’s a space for community and for people to access any resources they may need.”
The facility includes spaces for meditation, showers, laundry units and a cafe for socialization and food. Campbell said the center is designed to help members build connections and access resources.
“They can build social connections, they can build relationships, they can build on their lives and make them better,” Campbell said. “Whether that’s finding apartments, finding jobs, finding food.”
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said social interaction is a key component of the center’s mission.
“People are sitting at tables, they’re grabbing coffee and they’re talking to each other,” Garnar said. “Sometimes that’s the thing that’s most important, having that social interaction.”
Common Ground differs from other mental health facilities in that all employees have had lived mental health experiences, according to Tanya Brown, executive director of Catholic Charities Broome County.
“It makes a big difference if you’ve walked in the shoes of someone who is struggling that way,” Brown said. “You have a much deeper connection than someone who doesn’t.”
Throughout the program, members will be brought out into the community. The center’s team is conducting outreach efforts to reach people who may need assistance.
“Having someone come in and actually be able to just take a shower and be able to get clean. When they come out of it, they’re someone new,” Brown said. “It breathes life back into them.”
Intake is available Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. for anyone 18 and older.
The center is located at 290 Front St., Binghamton.
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