Through a joint effort between local government, private not for profit organizations, and local philanthropic companies we are embarking on developing a central location for essential social services for Blount County residents called the “Blount Community Campus”.  The Blount Community Campus is an innovative concept that will bring together agencies with complimentary missions to co-locate in a campus environment resulting in a strong network of community providers.  This concept once implemented will improve access to services, increase coordination of services between agencies, and support the health of our community.

 

Current campus partners include the Helen Ross McNabb Center, New Hope, Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Blount County Government.  Other non-profit agencies are being considered at this time as well.  The Helen Ross McNabb Center is a community mental health center that provides regional mental health, addiction, and social services to children and adults living in East Tennessee for the past sixty years.  New Hope, Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center provides prevention, education and intervention in a child-friendly culturally-respectful place where dedicated professionals work together to serve children, families and communities affected by abuse. 

 

Preliminary planning has been going on for over a year.  Campus “draft” renderings have been completed by Johnson Architect to help community members “envision” the potential of the campus.  The campus property is owned by Blount County and is adjacent to the K-Mart in Maryville/Alcoa and the Blount County Children’s Home.  Phase I will begin in Summer ’08 when Helen Ross McNabb breaks ground on a new outpatient office building.  Phase II will initiate in the Spring of ’09 when New Hope will begin construction on their new child-friendly facility.