Clark Community Mental Health Center coming to Mt. Vernon

Clinic to occupy old Relics location, temporary office set up soon
Clark Community Mental Health Center is opening a new location in Mt. Vernon, south of I-44, in what used to be Relics Antique Mall. The new clinic—which will be the company’s sixth in an area serving Barry, Dade and Lawrence counties—is being made possible thanks to a capital improvement bill that will allocate state resources for the project. The newly revamped location will seek to aid patients with mental health problems, as well as substance abuse.
Clark Center CEO Brad Ridenour, said that there are no guarantees, but he hopes the temporary office—at the same location—will be completed soon, however, it will not offer full services. The temporary office is being put in place to serve the needs of the community before the final product is still a couple years out.
The permanent location will utilize the space of the former Relics, 1001 Daniel Drive, as well as the building next to it. The plan, according to Ridenour, is to knock down the wall between the two and use one as an area for outpatient treatment and one for a waiting room. Ridenour is optimistic about the construction process but is worried about the logistics of the project.
"As I am sure you've heard, there has been some supply chain issues," said Ridenour in an interview, referencing problems with construction materials.
After the state funds were made available, the choice of where to put a new location was not a hard one according to Ridenour.
"Our board has an unspoken rule that we should have a good size office wherever there is a Walmart," Ridenour said, and a Walmart Mt. Vernon has.
The company has put out a request for proposal for an architect to help create the new design of their building. After the acquisition of the architect, Clark will still need to hire a construction contractor to complete the project.
The estimated cost is expected to be around $2 million, with the Clark Center contributing about 40 percent of that amount while the state funding will take care of the other 60 percent.