The city of Independence will issue a single $150,000 donation to the Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky (CHNK), a mental health provider that services the whole region.
The donation, which resulted from a recently passed resolution from the city council, will consist entirely of federal CARES Act and ARPA money.
CHNK has been going to several cities in Northern Kentucky, soliciting funds to help expand its services. The Independence City Council decided to donate when they learned that Independence was one of the top cities the organization served, “definitely in the top 20,” said Rick Wurth, CHNK’s CEO at the February city council meeting.
CHNK’s initial ask was $100,000, but the council agreed to increase the amount after seeing the large number of city residents, including numerous school-aged children, served by the organization.
At the same meeting, Mayor Chris Reinersman lauded CHNK’s work and expressed his hope that it would help curb ongoing issues with mental health in Northern Kentucky. He said that he was “very very proud to be a part of this city council,” when they decided to increase the amount to $150,000.
CHNK is one of the largest providers of mental health in the region. It also has continuum of services with two state-licensed residential mental health programs and nine evidence-based treatment systems.
CHNK began expanding its licensed services in 2014 and has since seen a 437% increase in incident and family member impacts, which includes nights of care, treatment and therapy services. 3038 individuals were served at CHNK between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.
Visit CHNK’s website to learn more about their mission and services.