Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living provides a comprehensive set of behavioral and mental healthcare services to individuals and families in Gary and Northwest Indiana. In doing so, they seek to contribute in a positive way to the community’s quality of life and to the achievement of their client’s life goals. They are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and licensed by the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addictions. They are unique in that they offer integrated care (medical and psychological services); treatment for dual-diagnosis and co-occurring disorders; outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential treatment; and a pharmacy on-site.

In doing so, they seek to contribute in a positive way to the community’s quality of life and to the achievement of their client’s life goals. They are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and licensed by the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addictions. They are unique in that they offer integrated care (medical and psychological services); treatment for dual-diagnosis and co-occurring disorders; outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential treatment; and a pharmacy on-site.

Brief Evaluation and Treatment

The Brief Evaluation and Treatment (BEAT) department at Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living provides crisis intervention services on a 24/7/365 basis for those who are desperately in need of immediate help. This department is staffed by an experienced team of highly qualified, licensed professionals, including psychologists, social workers, therapists, and case managers that can respond to a client’s needs quickly, comprehensively, and effectively. This program follows a collaborative-care model and integrates the behavioral health services of Edgewater with Community HealthNet.

Community and Residential Support Services

Edgewater Systems for Balance Living’s Community and Residential Support Services offers a broad range of services that trains a person to live a comfortable, stable and contributory life within the community and is divided into two programs—the Partial Hospitalization Program and Residential Services.

Janelle St. John, Director of Fund Development and Communications for Edgewater Systems, says that they have recently expanded their residential facility, the South Shore Commons, to bring more services to the community. Cutting the ribbon on January 28th, the service-enriched housing complex is targeted to homeless persons with disabilities and homeless families, extremely low income individuals and families at-risk of homelessness, low income individuals and small families some of whom have specific needs. In addition to the housing units, the facility includes common spaces that will be used for on-site service programs for residents; including mental health care, service coordination and case management.

Family, Youth, and Children’s Services

Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living’s Family, Youth, and Children’s Services help children, teens, and their families to cope with mental health challenges and emotional disturbances. The department works closely with schools, social service agencies, medical professionals, and other caregivers to ensure that proper care is received in order to help children and teens overcome obstacles that affect their ability to learn and thrive in life. Services include alcohol and substance abuse treatment, assessment, case management, clinical support services, crisis intervention services, discharge planning, evaluation, family therapy, group therapy, home-based services, individual therapy, medication therapy and management, referrals, and treatment planning.

Part of Family, Youth, and Children’s Services include the Circle Around Families program which seeks to develop a culturally competent community based system of care for seriously emotionally disabled children and their families, and the Kidwell Center which seeks to provide quality, individualized mental health services that are emotionally-supportive and culturally sensitive. The Addiction Services Department provides treatment for substance and drug abuse through our abstinence based outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment programs.