River Edge opens new adult peer support and community integration center in Macon
New facility combines peer support, wellness activities and life skills training for adults with mental health, substance use and developmental disabilities
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – River Edge Behavioral Health has opened a new Adult Peer Support and Community Integration Center, bringing peer support, skill building and wellness services together under one roof.
On the community integration side, the center serves adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Medicaid waiver program. The goal is to provide hands-on support focused on building everyday life skills and increasing independence.
“We help them with social skills, teaching them basic cooking skills, helping them with any type of goals that they may have in their life,” said Nancy Turner, day program coordinator for the IDD department.
The facility includes classrooms, arts and crafts areas, music and sensory spaces, along with areas designed for relaxation and social interaction.
The adult peer support side of the center serves individuals with mental health or substance use diagnoses. Unlike long-term IDD services, peer support allows people to drop in for specific classes, wellness activities, or medication-related support.
“They focus a lot on talking about those coping skills, and how to integrate and stay involved in your community, living clean and sober,” said Greta Odell, chief IDD officer at River Edge.
Odell says the new location makes services more accessible and allows individuals to engage at their own pace.
Turner says River Edge is proud of the new facility and encourages community members to come see what it has to offer.
“We’re extremely proud to have this facility, and this is not only for the people that we’re currently serving,” Turner said. “We’re looking into having new referrals, and people are welcome to come by and look at our community integration center.”
The center will serve individuals from River Edge’s Emory Highway and Woodfield locations.
The new center is located at 2016 Ingleside Avenue. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 10:30.
Hours for the intellectual and developmental disabilities community integration side will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The peer support side will be open the same days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
