AIM Center receives a State of Tennessee appropriations grant of $100,000 to establish a Wellness Center. Senator Andy Berke and Representative Joanne Favors will present the check and make remarks at AIM Center’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Director’s on Monday, Sept. 8, between 6 and 6:15 pm.
The appropriations grant, secured by Sen. Berke and Rep. Favors, has enabled AIM Center to start construction on the Wellness Center, slated for completion by November 2008. Wellness Center services were initiated to reverse the reduced average life expectancy of people with mental illness (age 53), which is 25 years less than the general population.
Integration of physical and mental wellness is critical to successful recovery from mental illness. AIM’s Wellness Center activities are designed to combat physical health issues facing mental health consumers such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and substance abuse. Best practice curriculums in Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Illness Management, and BRIDGES are also offered.
The $100,000 appropriation from the State of Tennessee brings AIM Center’s Capital Campaign to $3.15 of the $4.5 million total for purchase and renovation of the new facility located at 472 W. M L King Boulevard. Additional build-out being conducted includes a Fine Arts Studio and Gallery. An elevator, classrooms, fitness room, administrative offices, and two social enterprises will be completed as funds are raised.