The Greene County Health Department has opened up a new program at their Roodhouse location.
Greene County Health Department Administrator Molly Peters says the Roodhouse location has served as an access point for many in the northern portion of the county for current programs offered previously only at the Carrollton office: “In Roodhouse, we had received a grant to fund and maintain that building for a year. We have been provided additional grant funds to maintain that for another year. This is helpful for individuals that require some transportation. It also remains an access point for people who need immunizations or for our WIC clients to go there and receive their benefits and nutrition education that’s provided in that program.”
The Health Department is also opening a new program called First Impressions. Peters says as a part of the community health advocacy arm, the health department is giving residents who are unemployed or on fixed incomes help to find clothing for a job interview: “We are adding into the Roodhouse building a closet, you’d say, for individuals looking for interview clothing. The idea is to really make it more of a boutique sort of area so that people and individuals can come in and identify if they need interview clothing. We would be supplying that clothing at no cost to help improve access to individuals. Our definite mentor is All About You Beauty Bar & Boutique in Carrollton. We know that they provide a lot of clothing services, and we’re just kind of mimicking that example for individuals to use for interview purposes. We are accepting some donations.”
The Roodhouse office, located in the former JCH Medical Group building at 205 South Morse Street, is open on Wednesdays 9AM – 3PM. If someone needs something in a different time frame, they can call the Carrollton Office at 217-942-6961. Peters says the goal is to reduce barriers for people trying to improve themselves.
She says the Roodhouse location is also being utilized by the health department to assist those in recovery from substance abuse disorder: “We are running our ROSC Council, which is Recovery Oriented Systems of Care, through that building and through the health department office in Carrollton, as well. We do have meetings in Roodhouse related to recovery. We’re starting a support group actually at a physical activity location in the area to which individuals can go and receive some support with other peer-led programs and people in that group.”
More information on the Greene-Scott ROSC Council can be found by calling the Carrollton office and choosing option 6 at the phone menu or visit greenecountyhd.org/Recovery. ROSC Council meetings are open to the public.