A Monumental Moment: CHI’s Beam Signing for the Children’s Crisis Center
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CHI Corporate staff and board members, (from left to right) Marianne Finizio, Adlin Correa, Kenneth Gould, Blake Hall, Brodes H. Hartley, Jr., Tiffani Helberg, Peter Wood, Elizabeth Hoogenbergen, Claudia Gonzalez, and Celia Mion stand in front of the Children’s Crisis Center.
When Walter Cabral signed a beam on the future Children’s Crisis Center at Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) he signed for himself, and for the children that he has fostered over the years, some who have faced frightening mental health crises. Signing the steel beam symbolized his and their hope and support that will forever be part of the new facility. Hundreds of CHI community leaders, donors, and staff members did the same on this significant milestone for the Children’s Crisis Center. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to offer intensive care and healing for the children of South Florida facing mental health crises. The building will forever change the landscape of mental health care for children in South Florida.
For the past several years, CHI has worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life. The Children’s Crisis Center will serve as a safe haven for children experiencing emotional and mental health distress, offering immediate care and support during some of the most vulnerable moments in their young lives. With the building now beginning to take shape, the beam signing was a symbol of all the hard work, dedication, and collaboration that has gone into making this facility a reality.
“We are making history in South Florida,” said Blake Hall, President and CEO at CHI. “The beam signing ceremony symbolizes the collective effort and dedication of our supporters in making the Children’s Crisis Center a reality. Together, we are building a brighter future for our children.”
Leyli Fiscella-Salazar, RN, signs the steel structure with a personal heartfelt message.
Stakeholders, CHI staff, and community leaders stood side by side to write their names and messages of hope on the steel structure. For many, this was a deeply personal moment—one that symbolizes not just the physical construction of a building, but the emotional investment that has gone into this project.
One of the standout moments came with the participation of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County, who has been a strong advocate for mental health services for children and youth in our community. Her leadership and involvement in the beam signing made it clear that Miami-Dade stands behind the Children’s Crisis Center as a transformative step in improving mental health services for the most vulnerable in our community.
“There is nothing more important and more precious than the wellbeing of our children,” said Mayor Levine Cava. “I am so proud and grateful and excited that CHI is building this special facility to take care of the emotional needs of our children.”
Suicide rates among children are rising nationally and in South Florida. It is the second leading cause of death in Florida’s kids. Approximately 13 percent of children ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. have a diagnosed mental illness such as depression and anxiety according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet only half receive treatment from a mental health professional. These gaps in care are sometimes due to lack of accessibility.
Community Health of South Florida, Inc. is committed to improving the health and well-being of the community through accessible, high-quality healthcare services. The Children’s Crisis Center is a testament to this mission, providing essential resources and support to children and we have made history.
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