The City of Pensacola is partnering with Community Health Northwest Floridaand Lakeview Center to seek a nearly $3.5 million grant from the Escambia Children’s Trust to fund a comprehensive children’s resource center.
If awarded, the grant would allow the City to acquire and renovate the Morris L. Eaddy Lakeview Activity Center on Lakeview Avenue that will would turned into a center dedicated to providing integrated healthcare services and other resources for local youth.
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“We could really have a wraparound children’s services model here, which would include pediatrics, as well as some of the recreational elements, classrooms, computer labs and, hopefully, some partnership locally with Lakeview on the mental health aspect,” said Mayor D.C. Reeves.
The mayor announced the plans to apply for the Children’s Trust grant to fund the project Monday, during his weekly news conference.
Having such tax-payer funds go to a project run by local government is not setting precedence in the state, but it would be new to this community. Reeves added the city is ready to do its part.
“We can’t say that kids aren’t our job,” Reeves said. “We have 800 employees and a $260 million budget that may not include the school district or may not include some of the other amenities. But, what we do to help the children of Pensacola is our job — it’s all our job.”
Additionally, the mayor pointed to a demonstrated need.
“We have parts of our city where less than 50% of the people have access to a vehicle,” Reeves acknowledged. “So, I really see it as the synergistic ability for someone to have true wraparound in an area of need in both our city and our county, and to be able to go somewhere where they can improve their well-being, improve their health, improve their education.
The proposal calls for the City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department to offer community programing at the center, with an emphasis on child and family development.
On the healthcare side, the center would include a pediatric clinic operated by Community Health Northwest Florida and on-site behavioral health services offered by Lakeview Center, an affiliate of LifeView Group.
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“It has kind of grown over time into something that I think will make a real impact in the community, where we are located, for the residents that live in our neighborhood,” said Allison Hill, CEO of LifeView Group.
According to Hill, last year Lakeview Center served about 24,000 individuals in the community, including 6,000 children. She likes the idea of one stop for multiple services for families.
“Many times it’s co-occurring things that happen in a home; need for physical healthcare, access to daycare and to programs like the city offers that make it more difficult for people to engage in treatment,” Hill stated.
“So, the thought of having all these services co-located is very exciting and, I feel, an opportunity for us to partner in ways to bring services differently than we’ve seen in the past.”
For Community Health Northwest Florida, the pediatric clinic will be modeled after the successful pediatric care programs serving disadvantaged students at C.A. Weis Elementary School, a certified Community Partnership School, and — more recently — at Pine Forest High School.
“So, we have various areas in our community where there’re a lot of children that are not receiving the immunizations that are required to keep them healthy,” said Dr. Joseph Klawitter, director of pediatrics for Community Health Northwest Florida.
“They’re not getting well-checks. They have chronic conditions that are not being followed up in a timely manner, whether because of transportation or lack of primary care.”
Despite the focus on children in under-resourced communities, Klawitter emphasized that no child will be turned away and that the services offered will be adjusted as needed.
“I think the overall theory when we start is going to be all encompassing for the community. And, as we continue to see children,, to be able to provide services, behavioral health and whatever else ancillary services, can be brought in to meet the need the community has,” he said.
If the $3.5 million funding request is approved, Mayor Reeves said their proposal for a children’s services center will be a win for the entire community.
“When you see where this is located geographically, it’s on the city-county line,” he stated.
“Our expectation is that even though this is a city-run facility that this is going to be used very much by the children of Escambia County, which is just a couple blocks away. So, that’s why we really like this location. It’s in an area of need and I think we’re able to fulfill those needs at both the city and county level.”
The city initiated the proposal for a children’s services center with LifeView Group, which currently owns the building, beginning in summer 2022.
City officials are submitting application to the Escambia Children’s Trust this week.
