CAMBRIDGE, Iowa — One of Iowa's largest youth-oriented nonprofits is set to break ground on a new youth recovery campus.
YSS released designs for the new campus, Ember, at an unveiling event Tuesday.
"[With] the trauma inflicted by the pandemic, kids and families are really struggling," said Andrew Allen, president and CEO of YSS. "There's 7,000 kids in Iowa that need treatment every year and don't get it. These are desperately needed beds to support the behavioral health needs of kids across the state."
The 53-acre campus near Cambridge, Iowa, will offer 70 beds for emergency shelter, crisis stabilization and residential addiction treatment for youth.
"Cambridge is centrally located. Really, we wanted it to be a nature-based, trauma-informed campus, and it's 53 acres of prairie and timber really easily accessible," Allen said.
The campus' main building, the "Hub," will offer a welcome center, family visit room, offices, a classroom, gathering spaces, a fitness center, café and kitchen.
Surrounding cabins will house youth bedrooms as well as caseworker offices and spaces for group therapy and activities.
"These are life saving services," Allen said. "As a teenager, I was helped by YSS. Today, I get to lead the organization that saved my life. And there's kids and families are struggling. They're desperate, and this brings hope."
YSS will host a groundbreaking ceremony on August 9 at 10 a.m.