09 Jan Benilde Hall Receives $10,000 Grant from the Ina Calkins Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee

Benilde Hall was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from The Ina Calkins Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee to deliver its Substance Abuse Treatment (SAT) program.

Benilde Hall’s SAT program will provide supportive housing and treatment services to 100 adult males experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder (SUD), and co-occurring disorders in Kansas City, Missouri. Funds will primarily support salaries and benefits for program staff to provide direct services (counseling, case management, SUD treatment using evidence-based best practices, and individual and group education). A small portion of the requested funds will support direct program expenses (drug testing, household supplies, utilities).

For over 30 years, Benilde Hall’s program has provided men with the support they need to return to the community as healthy, sober, responsible, and productive members of society. Over the next 12 months, this funding will support service delivery for 100 men. The expected average length of stay for individuals is 70-75 days, with the number of treatment hours ranging from 210 to 375 per client.

Substance use is prevalent and growing in the Kansas City, Missouri area, and it can harm individuals’ health, well-being, and ability to maintain stable employment and housing. Substance use disorders and mental illness are the most prevalent contributing factors to homelessness, which can quickly impact relationships, unemployment, housing, crime, and victimization. In Jackson County, there has been a rise in fentanyl use and deaths, which has impacted clients referred to Benilde Hall and increased referrals. Many of Benilde Hall’s clients (70%) present with a co-occurring mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. It is critical that these individuals receive comprehensive, person-centered care such as that provided by Benilde Hall staff within a therapeutic community model.

This project aims to help clients successfully transition out of the SAT program as healthy, sober, responsible, and productive members of the community. Benilde Hall accomplishes this through active engagement with well-trained, qualified staff; ongoing education and support; and individualized treatment plans tailored to each client’s unique strengths, needs, and goals. Benilde Hall measures progress toward this overarching goal through outcomes that focus on key areas: abstinence from drugs/alcohol, improved mental health, stable employment/income, and permanent housing.

Benilde Hall was founded in 1993 by the Lay Volunteers of DeLaSalle and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1997. Its mission is to provide services for SUD, mental health, and homelessness, so individuals may return to the community as responsible, employed, and permanently housed contributing members of society. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Benilde Hall is one of the only low-barrier treatment facilities in the region serving adult males ages 18 and older. Since its founding, Benilde Hall’s qualified, trained, and experienced staff have delivered services to more than 5,430 adult males experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.