History of the Mental Health Center of Madison County

The Huntsville/ Madison County Mental Health Board was incorporated in December 1968 and held its first meeting in April 1969.  The Center is a direct result of the 1967 Alabama Legislature passing Act 310, which regulated and authorized the formation of regional mental health boards.  A 12 member governing board governs the center with six appointees from the City of Huntsville and six from the Madison County Commission.  In October 1969, the Board began clinic operations under the initial leadership of William H. Goodson, MD. The clinic remained at the Madison County Health Department until May 1970 when the Board leased and renovated a former department store on Randolph Avenue. Staff members were added in 1970 and 1971 under federal staffing grants until comprehensiveness of services was achieved.  A construction grant was awarded in September 1971. Site problems delayed the graoundbreaking for the new center until August 28, 1973. The facility at 660 Gallatin Street was opened to the public in April of 1975, and services were provided at that location for the next 27 years until 2002.

The first director of the Mental Health Center, Dr. Goodson, moved from Director to Medical Director of the Center in May of 1975.  Mr. William E. “Bill” Lee was appointed Executive Director at that time.  He served until February of 1979.  As the original staffing grant, growth grant, and conversion grant concluded in the 1978 -1979 time frame, several key leadership positions were vacated. After the resignations of Dr. Goodson and several other key program managers,  Ms. JoAnn Moorman, a member of the Board since 1976, was appointed interim director on a volunteer basis in February, 1979 and served until September 1979 when, Gary W. Porier, Ph.D., was appointed.  Dr. Porier served continuously from 1979 to 2005 and oversaw a significant expansion from a $1.3 million budget to a $9.7 million budget over 26 years.  In October 2005, Dr. Porier retired from the Mental Health Center and Brian W. Davis, L.C.S.W., was appointed as the new Executive Director.

The staff has increased from 63 in 1979 to the 2009 level of approximately 200. In addition to the basic services of outpatient, day treatment, emergency, consultation & education, and access to in-patient services, the Center has added a wide array of case management and residential services, outreach to nursing homes, specialized services for children and adolescents as well as geriatric populations and substance abusers.  The Center also provides a wide array of psychiatric, nursing, and supportive services that enable formerly institutionalized individuals to return to the community.  The Center provides active outpatient treatment programs designed to meet a wide range of community needs.

In November 2001, the Board acquired a building at 4040 S. Memorial Parkway and arranged for a complete renovation of the interior of the facility.  An additional acre of frontage space was purchased to provide adequate parking and green space for the front of the facility. Most of the Center operations were moved to the new location in October 2002.  The new facility, all on one level, provided for more office and program space for the many clinical programs offered by the Board for both adult and children’s services. The Center also maintains three group homes and a day treatment facility serving clients in a service enclave off Triana Boulevard. 42 apartment units adjacent to this service enclave provide both foster home placements and rental assistance for homeless mentally ill individuals. In, addition, the Center operates 17 adult foster care beds in Toney, AL and contracts with several different providers for additional beds throughout the area.

After moving into the new Center main building, the Board acted on an opportunity in July 2004 to acquire a 5 ¼ acre tract of land immediately adjacent to the Main Center for future development of facilities for programs. In partnership with local ropes course expert Lonnie Jones, the Mental Health Center developed a complete Challenge Course with both low and and high elements in a wooded section of this property. Then through a grant awarded by the Jane K. Lowe Charitable Foudation, a portion of the property was used to construct a 60-foot labryinth in 2006.  Also in 2006, the Board was able to purchase a two story 20,000 square foot structure south of the Main Center at 1900 Golf Road. This additional building allowed the Board to bring our New Horizons Recovery Center for Adults and Adolescents to the Main campus. All services for children and adolescents were moved to this new facility in September 2008 and is referred to as the Nova Center for Youth and Families.

The Center, with its 11-acre campus, currently provides services to over 7,000 clients annually, many of whom could not afford services elsewhere.  The Center operates on a sliding fee scale that provides services as low as $10.00 per hour.  No one is turned away due to an inability to pay as long as the financial stability of the organization is not in jeopardy.