Nixon opens Will’s Place

In July 2011, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced that his administration and the state legislature allocated $2 million to establish a child trauma treatment center in Joplin as a result of the May 22 tornado.

The Ozark Center, the behavioral health division of Freeman, then designed the center in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

On Tuesday afternoon, Nixon, along with Ozark Center and Freeman Health System staff and business leaders, held a grand opening ceremony at Will’s Place, a healing center for children. The center was named in memory of Will Norton, a Joplin High School graduate who was killed during the devastating tornado.

“This place is going to help so many young people to heal, and it is something that you can be very proud to have open,” said Nixon. “This means that all of us need to continue to stand together to tackle those challenges now and in the future. And to ensure that every child has access to the mental health services he or she needs. Will’s Place will help do just that.

By training community partners, teachers, nurses and leaders in the faith community to recognize the size of trauma among our young people, by expanding mental health services that are available to children and families in this region, and by developing the broadest professional network possible to ensure that we have enough providers who will train and compare to work with every single child in need.”

The center, which is located at 1800 W. 30th St., Joplin, is an 11,000 square foot facility. Construction of the facility began in August, according to Ozark Center vice president of clinical services Vicky Mieseler. There will be 50 employees will occupy the building, with four playrooms, a lot of therapy staff offices and a very large state-of-the-art training center downstairs.

Will’s Place will house, under one roof, all mental health services for children offered by Ozark Center and Freeman. The center will treat children, from infants to the age of 21, who have experienced trauma, who have mental health symptoms, or who have behavioral concerns. Will’s Place will offer children and their families greater access to experts in the field of trauma and behavioral health, treating children who have undergone any form of trauma, tornado-related or not.

“Though more than seven months have passed since the storm, our children continue to have difficulty adjusting to the sudden and drastic life changes that occurred on May 22,” said Mieseler. “But with every disaster comes opportunity — opportunity such as the one presented to us by Gov. Nixon and the state legislature. Thanks to the funding they provided, our community will have greater and improved access to services for children.”

Asked about the amount of children they will see, Mieseler said, “pre-tornado in a year’s time, we served about 3,000 children. Our estimate is that we will serve about 3,700 by the end of this fiscal year.”

Ozark Center chief executive officer Phil Willcoxon said it is an honor to name this facility of healing after Will Norton and recognition of all children who died during the May 22.

“In the days since May 22, Trish Norton, Will’s mother, has so often said ‘Live your life like Will,’” Willcoxon said. “It is our hope that all children who seek treatment within these walls may find the same love and enthusiasm for life that Will did.”
In the crowd of 75 people who attended the event, Mark Norton, Will’s father, spoke.

“Will) was a remarkable young man… we really feel honored that his name is associated with this place…” said Mark Norton. “We really truly feel like there will be an angel looking over this facility.”

To contact Will’s Place, call 347-7580.