The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

Last week, Compass Health Center opened its doors to clinicians, educators, and community members for the debut of our new Brookfield facility. The event wasn’t just a celebration of a new building—it was a reflection of a shared goal: expanding access to timely, compassionate mental health care across Wisconsin.

Across Wisconsin, one in five adults—more than a million people—experience a mental health condition each year. Among adolescents, nearly 90,000 experience a major depressive episode, yet more than 40 percent receive no treatment at all (NAMI Wisconsin, 2021). Families face long waitlists, limited local psychiatric care options, and the immense stress of finding care for loved ones who can’t afford to wait.

Compass’s new Brookfield location is designed to change that. The center offers psychiatrist-led Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for teens, young adults, and adults, as well as virtual programming available statewide. These programs bridge the gap between weekly outpatient care and hospitalization, providing high-quality, evidence-based treatment in a structured, supportive environment.

Crucially, care begins quickly. Patients are assessed within 24 hours and can often start treatment the same or next day. That kind of accessibility matters. Our outcomes show patients experience, on average, a more than 50% reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms—evidence that timely, multidisciplinary care can help people regain stability and return to daily life with confidence.

The Brookfield facility is also an investment in the local community, creating more than 57 new jobs and fostering partnerships with area schools, hospitals, and advocacy groups.

We believe that when communities invest in mental health, they invest in everything that makes them stronger—families, classrooms, workplaces, and neighborhoods. We’re honored to join the Brookfield community and look forward to building relationships that help it thrive for years to come.

– Klinger, a licensed clinical social worker, is executive director, Compass Health Center – Brookfield