FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Marcie Dearth, VP External Relations
(407) 637-0374

THE GROVE COUNSELING CENTER AND IMPOWER JOIN FORCES TO BETTER SERVE COMMUNITY

ORLANDO, FL. – (December 15, 2017) – After 45 years of focusing on mental health and substance abuse treatment, The Grove Counseling Center, located in Seminole County, and Central Florida-based IMPOWER, Inc. are merging. This transition serves as a joint strategic move that enhances the unique but complementary services provided by both agencies to families and individuals in need. IMPOWER, currently headquartered in Orlando, is a larger mental health and child well-being organization that offers statewide services.

“Both The Grove and IMPOWER have experienced some attrition with several key leaderships positions vacant or in transition”, said Anna Baznik, President/CEO of IMPOWER. “The partnership of The Grove and IMPOWER helps to fill these gaps while helping the merged agencies be more competitive and reducing costs.” The Grove and IMPOWER are working to integrate operations and programs without eliminating any jobs.

The Board of Directors of both agencies will begin meeting as one board in January 2018. The Grove and IMPOWER will continue to operate under their respective brands throughout the transition with full integration as one 501-C-3 non-profit agency expected to be completed by June 2018.  IMPOWER President/CEO Anna Baznik will lead the direction and serve as CEO for both agencies after integration.

“This merger is the result of a very thoughtful and tactical plan for sustaining and amplifying the respective services provided by both The Grove and IMPOWER,” explained Shirley Adams, Interim COO for The Grove. “Since our missions and client needs are similar, this partnership makes great sense and will significantly enhance how we help our clients and the community.”

The Grove Counseling Center’s substance abuse treatment and prevention programs provide a logical enhancement to IMPOWER, which currently offers outpatient mental health, psychiatric care and child well-being services such as foster care and adoptions support. By leveraging the strengths of both organizations and combining networks and expertise, The Grove and IMPOWER will be better positioned to expand in scope and reach – ultimately resulting in more effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of the community. The merger also provides economy in operating costs with an immediate, approximate $350,000 savings annually.

In the start of the New Year, IMPOWER’s Administrative Offices will relocate to The Grove’s corporate offices at 111 West Magnolia Avenue, Longwood, FL 32750, thus putting the administrative teams under one roof.

About IMPOWER, Inc.

IMPOWER, a 501(c)(3)organization, is a leading non-profit mental health and child wellbeing organization focused on “inspiring life’s potential”. IMPOWER has been serving individuals and families in the Central Florida community since July 1994. Service areas include Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia & Polk Counties. Our mission is to change lives by protecting, counseling, teaching and inspiring individuals and families to reach their full potential. Our programs are community based with focus on ensuring that all individuals served have the tools and support to attain independence and self-sufficiency. IMPOWER provides a continuum of behavioral and mental health therapy, foster care and adoption services, independent living and transitional housing for foster youth, and tele-health/tele-psychiatry services for more than 9,000 individuals and families annually.

About The Grove Counseling Center

The Grove Counseling Center, a Seminole County based 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1971 as the Drug Action Committee of Seminole County (DACSC), headed by Dr. Luis Perez of Sanford. Built to address the community’s need for substance abuse services and centered on founding principle that strengthening the family unit was the key to attacking the growing problem of substance abuse, The Grove Counseling Center formally received its name in 1980 and by 1984 gained a property in Winter Springs to offer residential treatment to the community and foster youth. Since then, The Grove has grown its services to provide prevention in schools and case management services to families raising a youth with a mental health diagnosis. With a dedicated focus on those living with a mental health diagnosis or suffering from substance abuse allows The Grove to enhance the ability of many individuals and families to succeed in life.

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