Dayton Children’s partners with Lincoln Community Center to provide mental health services for kids, families enrolled in after-school program

Dayton Children’s Hospital has partnered with the Lincoln Community Center, an educational and recreational facility in Troy, to provide mental health services for families and kids enrolled in the center’s after-school program.

Therapy services are available for enrolled children and their families with a licensed family and marriage therapist from Dayton Children’s. The therapist will see kids and their families on-site at the Lincoln Center after school and in the early evening hours when it’s most convenient for families.

“Dayton Children's mission is the relentless pursuit of optimal health for every child within our reach. The Lincoln Center has the same aligned goal to be relentless in support of the children of Troy and Miami County,” said Ben Goodstein, vice president and chief ambulatory officer at Dayton Children’s. “Together, we can do great things to make a positive difference and meet the social and behavioral health needs of this community.”

This partnership evolved from the need for more behavioral health services and support in Miami County for both children and their families. The after-school program serves children grades K-12. There are currently 83 kids enrolled in the program that are now eligible for therapy services.

“The Lincoln Community Center knew coming out of COVID that with the change in the school pattern, and issues caused with the pandemic in general, there would be an increase in the need of mental and behavioral health support for our children,” said Shane Carter, executive director, Lincoln Community Center. “As we started our building expansion in 2020, we identified mental and behavioral health as a critical need in our community. Our goal from the beginning has been to be able to offer all our services under one roof. From there, we knew Dayton Children’s would be able to provide the best mental and behavioral health services for our youth. We are so excited to partner with Dayton Children’s and offer these services to the families in our programs.”

In addition to its mental health support, Dayton Children’s is also providing programming at the Lincoln Center in the areas of nutrition, injury prevention, bike, and sports safety for local families.

“Partnering with Dayton Children's to provide mental health services for the children and families of the Center fits the mission and vision that the Lincoln Community Center Board and staff have long upheld,” said Karen Boone, president, Lincoln Community Center Board of Directors. “Educating, informing, and uplifting the community and providing a safe space means listening to the needs of our community and providing programs that meet those needs. Mental health is a huge priority at the Lincoln Center. We are extremely excited for this partnership with Dayton Children's and know that the effects of it will be a benefit to our families, staff, and the greater community.”