After Eight Years of Service, St. Joseph Center of Hope Closes as Monroe County's Fight Against Opioid Addiction Enters a New Chapter

Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) has announced that St. Joseph Center of Hope, its 24/7 crisis intervention center for individuals struggling with substance use disorder, will close on July 31, 2026, after nearly eight years of service to the Monroe community. Beginning August 1, Monroe Community Mental Health Authority (Monroe CMHA) will provide crisis support and peer recovery services for individuals in need, ensuring the community's most vulnerable residents continue to have somewhere to turn.

"This is a story about what a community can accomplish when it comes together," said Paul Propson, President and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan. "The St. Joseph Center of Hope team helped many people find help for recovery, and going forward, we will work with Monroe CMHA to accomplish this work in new ways with new programs."

Where to Find Help Beginning August 1

Starting August 1, 2026, Monroe CMHA will provide substance use disorder crisis support through its Behavioral Health Urgent Care program and peer recovery services through its Clinical Services team. Anyone in need can reach help in the following ways:

• Call (734) 243-7340 — available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Visit Behavioral Health Urgent Care at 325 Colonial Court, Monroe.
• Visit the main office at 1001 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe.

Clients with an existing open case at Monroe CMHA do not need to re-enroll.

A Center Born from Community

St. Joseph Center of Hope carries forward a legacy that stretches back further than its 2018 opening. Its name honors the former St. Joseph Parish in Monroe, whose food pantry ministry continued serving the community even after the parish closed in 2014. On March 19, 2018, CCSEM formally named St. Joseph as the organization's patron saint — a fitting tribute that set the stage for what came next.

On November 20, 2018, then-Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron joined CCSEM leadership and Monroe community members for the ribbon-cutting of St. Joseph Center of Hope. The 24/7 crisis intervention center was made possible through the generosity of several partners — including ProMedica, the Monroe Community Foundation, the Community Mental Health Partnership for Southeast Michigan, and the Monroe County Commissioners — and gave the county something it had never had: a place where anyone in an addiction crisis, regardless of ability to pay, could find immediate stabilization, a meal, a shower, and a path toward recovery.

Nearly Eight Years of Impact

Since it opened, St. Joseph Center of Hope has served hundreds of Monroe County residents, providing between 900 and 1,800 individual admissions each year and helping people find stability, safety, and a first step toward treatment. Overdose deaths in Monroe County — once among the highest in Michigan during the height of the opioid crisis — have returned to pre-2010 levels, a benchmark that reflects years of close collaboration between CCSEM, Monroe CMHA, local hospitals, faith communities, and county partners.

A Partnership That Is Evolving, Not Ending

Monroe CMHA has been a trusted partner to CCSEM since St. Joseph Center of Hope's earliest days, and in 2024 CCSEM was recognized as Monroe CMHA's Outstanding Community Partner. As a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, Monroe CMHA is now positioned to provide these crisis and recovery services directly.

"This work has never belonged to one organization — it belongs to this community," said Propson and Lisa Graham, CEO of Monroe CMHA, in a joint statement. "CCSEM and Monroe CMHA have stood side by side for years in the fight against addiction in Monroe County, and that partnership isn't ending — it's evolving. Together, we're making sure that anyone in our community facing a crisis will still find help, compassion, and a path forward."

CCSEM Remains Committed to Monroe County

While St. Joseph Center of Hope's doors will close, CCSEM's presence in Monroe County will not. The organization continues to offer adult and family counseling, substance use treatment and prevention, and peer recovery services through its outpatient behavioral health clinic, along with its Student Prevention Leadership Training (SPLT) program in local schools. CCSEM's Monroe County counseling office is located at 234 Colonial Drive, Monroe, MI 48162, and can be reached at (734) 240-3850 ext. 2000.

Celebrating a Legacy: Community Open House

CCSEM will host a community open house on July 31, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m. to celebrate St. Joseph Center of Hope's legacy and to thank the many partners, donors, and community members who made its work possible. All are welcome to join in honoring nearly eight years of service to Monroe County.

As one chapter closes and another begins, CCSEM remains committed to the dignity of every person seeking help and hope — and to walking alongside the Monroe community in the ongoing work of recovery and healing.