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The former home of the event space The Crowne at 107 E. Second St. was brought back to life Wednesday in the form of RiverValley Behavioral Health’s new facility — RVBH@The Crowne — opening its doors in downtown Owensboro.
RVBH@The Crowne — the third facility that RiverValley has opened this year locally — will be equipped as a community center, providing resources while fostering connections, rehabilitation and empowering individuals to “take charge of their mental health journey by equipping them with the right tools and providing a comprehensive support system for our community,” according to RVBH officials.
Karyleen Irizarry, RVBH’s senior director of community health and forensics, will serve as the administrator for the new center.
“This is such a joyous occasion for RiverValley and for our community,” said Dr. Wanda Figueroa-Peralta, president and CEO of RVBH. “RiverValley at The Crowne is a center that holds the promise that every life is valuable, that mental health is as important as physical health and that we need to be more involved in improving our health and the health of those that we love.”
Figueroa-Peralta said the new center “has a place for everyone here,” and will focus on three key areas, including the importance of connection.
“We have people that are trained here (and) six offices that any person (who) walks in the door and they have questions about how they can connect with services, they have someone who’s specially trained to help them and help them navigate through those services,” she said.
One of the most prominent areas in the new facility is the regional prevention center resource library — complete with books for all ages elaborating on topics ranging from AIDS, addiction recovery, anxiety, grief, postpartum mood disorders, substance use and more.
“Every book has been vetted by a team of clinicians,” Figueroa-Peralta said, “It’s very important that when you are in need of services, or you’re looking for answers or you want to improve your own wellness (or for) your family that you find reliable resources.
“We are confident that the resources that we have here, that we continue to grow, are going to make a positive impact in your lives,” she said.
Figueroa-Peralta said RVBH@The Crowne will be a “training ground” for professionals, first responders and other community members, who will have an opportunity to attend evidence-based training sessions.
Services to be offered at the center include: service navigation; crisis intervention and peer support; assisted-outpatient treatment; access and referral services; connection to community resources; community training and outreach; Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training; suicide prevention training; supported employment; and DUI assessment and education.
Additional services that will be offered in both English and Spanish will include mental health first aid, trauma-informed care training and nurturing parenting classes.
Jeff Jones, RVBH’s board chairman, touted the “opportunity that (the new center) creates for individuals.”
“It’s much needed … and it’s a partnership with a lot of different people,” he said. “… As we see in the world today, there are so many issues that are out there.
“This is … just another location and another resource for individuals to be able to get the help that’s needed,” he said.
Figueroa-Peralta also took a moment during the ceremony to discuss The Crowne’s importance to locals and how she hopes to continue its legacy in a different form.
“The Crowne has a special place in the hearts of community members,” she said. “When we started putting information out, people started to send messages saying: ‘Oh, I got married there’ or ‘I bought my wedding dress there.’ …
“We want to make sure that we honor the beauty of this place and how special it is by bringing a purpose that has a lot of meaning and has a positive impact.”
RVBH@The Crowne will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday starting Thursday, Nov. 2, with additional weekend hours to be offered for special events.
Published on November 6, 2023