Guests enter the Magnolia House during the Grand Opening
New Narrative opened its second residential treatment facility (RTF) this year! Magnolia House opened yesterday to fanfare from the local community. This facility adds 11 more residential beds to New Narrative’s portfolio, bringing the agency’s total bed count to 96 beds. Staffing will be provided 24/7 to ensure residents are fully supported in their recovery. Residents will begin moving into Magnolia House this September.
Like its sister facility Jade House, Magnolia House was made possible through partnership with the Oregon Health Authority’s Behavioral Health Division. The facility will offer support to adults transitioning from acute care settings including Oregon State Hospital through services including skill-building, medication management, community engagement, case management, and mental health care through the collaborative efforts of residential, clinical, and peer staff onsite. The renovations to the site were completed by RESOLVE Architecture and GI Builders, Inc.
A Community Welcome
Community leaders and advocates gathered at the house on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the grand opening of this facility. Magnolia House filled up quickly with longtime partners and friends
VP of Residential Services Iris Sexton and CEO Julie Ibrahim
of the agency. New Narrative staff from across the agency also attended, including residential staff for the site. Kylyn Small, New Narrative’s House Manager for Magnolia House, is ready to welcome new residents, saying, “I’m most excited about starting something new, the team-based care element of it.” Assistant Licensed Residential Director Stephanie Weaver echoed the enthusiasm. “I’m excited to expand this much-needed resource for our community,” she said.
Oregon State Representative Hoa Nguyen spoke to the crowd about the importance of treatment access. “When we broaden access to care for the most vulnerable members of our community, all of us win. When we open pathways to community integration for adults with mental health issues, we create a more inclusive and just environment,” she said. “Through a continuum of care, New Narrative ensures that people are getting the treatment and support they need to get and stay housed and pursue their goals for wellness.”
When we broaden access to care for the most vulnerable members of our community, all of us win.
Ribbon-cutting by New Narrative staff and community leaders
Multnomah County Chair Chair Jessica Vega Pederson also spoke at the opening, mentioning the ongoing need to add critical treatment and support systems to Oregon’s mental health care offerings. “In order for this work to be successful, we must address the critical points throughout our systems where we know people are falling through the cracks, and we have to do that together,” she said. “These gaps have profound impacts,” she continued. “We know our behavioral health system is interconnected, which is why we are investing in services across the continuum – from emergency in-crisis services, to intensive treatment and residential care, to community-based recovery housing. And that is why funding and operational partnerships with the state are critical to building our continuum. So I look forward to our continued work to provide alternatives and to work with the state and partners like New Narrative to make more of these resources possible, available, and as beautiful as this facility is today.”
Read the Magnolia House Press Release
