What happened to South St. Pete’s Support Hub?

A March 1 event commemorated the city’s first Community Support Hub opening along a culturally significant South St. Petersburg corridor. The lead agency’s director said staff would “walk people through the gate” to receive help.

The gate locked permanently three months later.

Myriad city officials and community leaders attended the festive ceremony at 1427 22^nd St. S. (the Deuces). Mayor Ken Welch selected local nonprofit The Well to oversee an innovative, trauma-informed and grassroots approach to mental health care.

Dr. Ladonna Butler, founder of The Well, subsequently left the now-seemingly shuttered organization. However, the saga has a positive conclusion, as Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (GCJFCS) now leads the holistic initiative.

“It’s not about the space so much as it is about the accessibility,” said Dr. Sandra Braham, CEO of GCJFCS. “It’s not about a building – it’s about a vision of meeting people where they are.”

Dr. Ladonna Butler (podium), founder of The Well, left the organization shortly after the Hub opened. Photo by Mark Parker.

Welch tapped the Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) to distribute an $8.5 million seed fund. The collaborative program’s founding partners were The Well, GCJFCS and People Empowering & Restoring Communities (PERC).

Duggan Cooley, CEO of PCF, said the Hub quietly closed in early June. The city-sponsored initiative became increasingly complex, and the partners decided it needed a new lead agency.

Cooley said he offered The Well an opportunity to continue providing mental health services – the nonprofit’s focus. “We had continuing challenges in the transition, and I don’t know if they really wanted to be involved,” he added.

“At the same time, their CEO took a job … somewhere out of state.”

Multiple calls to two of The Well’s listed phone numbers went directly to automated voicemail. The organization’s last Facebook post, June 6, featured a photo of the opening ceremony. “It has been our pleasure to serve!” it read.

Braham and Cooley said they hadn’t spoken to anyone at The Well in months. The nonprofit held the lease on the Deuces facility.

The remaining partners temporarily moved operations as it became apparent that The Well could no longer stay in the building. In July, South St. Pete residents told Spectrum News that they arrived to find the doors locked.

“I think the idea was to not be overly disruptive to people by making some big announcement that it moved temporarily,” Cooley said. “We weren’t sure if we’d be back at the 22^nd Street location.”

Stakeholders stressed that those experiencing a mental health crisis could still receive services during that transitional phase. Cooley said they made a concerted effort to transfer the lease.

They posted a sign on the Hub’s door directing walk-ins – a critical program component – to 1601 16^th St. S. PERC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the formerly incarcerated become productive members of society, now hosts operations from its headquarters.

The new site, in a nondescript plaza, is just over half a mile from the Deuces facility. Cooley noted it is within walking distance from the former location.

In addition, he said someone seeking help could call the number or visit the website posted on its door. “If they didn’t want to walk or couldn’t walk, they could have been picked up. Someone could have met them at the site.”

“If we had their contact information and they were a client, they were contacted to let them know about the changes,” Cooley added. “A lot of details were out there. Even how to walk there.”

A map highlighting the Community Support Hub’s new location (red pin). The 22nd St. S. corridor is to the far left. Screengrab, Google.

A new beginning

GCJFCS will soon celebrate its 50^th anniversary and has received nationwide acclaim for its innovative community programs. Cooley said the remaining partners continue enhancing the initiative’s services.

Creating a robust mental health care provider network is a priority. The holistic program will also facilitate childcare, employment and various support services.

“Culturally competent care – being respectful of people’s backgrounds, their beliefs and what they hold as their values – has really been at the heart of this, and that hasn’t changed,” Cooley said. “And I think Gulf Coast (JFCS) and PERC understand and hold that as very clear values of their own.”

Braham said the partners brought various strengths to the program’s pilot phase. She noted her organization’s extensive history of providing case management and counseling services.

Stakeholders will continue integrating community-informed strategies with scientific data to meet neighborhood-specific needs. Braham called the new location a “great space for where we are right now … that was available in a short transition period.”

“Some people may not want to come to that building but are willing to meet in their homes,” she added. “Those are things we must explore through this first Hub. What works best, and what are the various methods of service delivery?”

A new group of community liaisons will aid those efforts. Cooley said the first cohort is receiving robust training on the Hub’s offerings, and the overarching goal is to discern neighborhood needs and direct people to available resources.

He said community buy-in has increased, and stakeholders have received critical feedback. “We know people are finding value in this … It’s exciting for all of us to see it now taking good shape.”

The Community Support Hub is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at 1601 16th Street S. For more information, call (727) 285-4553 or visit the website here.

Community Support Hub nonprofit partners Duggan Cooley (left), CEO of the Pinellas Community Foundation; Dr. Sandra Braham (fourth from left), CEO of Gulf Coast Jewish and Family Community Services; and Michael Jalazo (second from right), CEO of People Empowering & Restoring Communities, cut a ceremonial ribbon in March. Photo by Mark Parker.