Challenge
Launched in 2007, Achieve Center, Inc. (ACI), provides mental health and learning services for children, adults, and families impacted by learning disabilities, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, memory problems, concussion/brain injury, and various other cognitive, developmental, and physical challenges. A large share of ACI’s clients are low-income, with 60% of them eligible for Medicaid. ACI’s aim is to maximize the ability of every individual to achieve fulfillment in personal and relationship goals. They provide a team of specialists who can assess and treat the barriers that stand in the way of that fulfillment.
Action
FCI’s $400,000 loan to ACI was part of a $1.35 million project to purchase and renovate a new facility in order to meet the increasing demand for their services. People with the kinds of physical, emotional, and mental difficulties ACI treats—particularly those who are from lower-income households—represent a highly underserved population in the Wausau area. Consequently, waiting lists are the norm. At the time this loan was approved, there was a five month wait for assessment and a three month wait for treatment. This expansion will allow ACI to add staff and increase the number of clients served each year from between 700 and 800 to about 1,000.
Impact
Prior to expanding, ACI was getting 10 referrals a day in excess of what they could accommodate. Unfortunately, ACI is the only organization in the area that does this type of work, so those who are wait-listed have no other options. While ACI may still be unable to completely meet the demand across the large geographical area its clients come from–many of them from as far away as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula–the ability to treat 200-300 more people each year will go a long way toward addressing the needs of families and communities in the Wausau area.
Learn more about Achieve Center, Inc.
