By Gina M. Marinelli
Senior Gift Officer, Mercy Health Foundation

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – 2025 is shaping up to be a consequential year when it comes to the mental health and emotional well-being of the people in the Mahoning Valley.

This fall, the Mercy Health Behavioral Hospital will open. The 62,000-square-foot hospital is a joint venture with Lifepoint Behavioral Health. It is the second joint venture with the Tennessee company, the first being the Mercy Health Rehabilitation Hospital, which opened in November.

The hospitals are adjacent to each other on Belmont Avenue in Youngstown. The Mercy Health Behavioral Hospital will offer inpatient and outpatient services for individuals dealing with a wide range of conditions from depression to PTSD to schizophrenia. There also will be specialized programs for mental health concerns stemming from substance abuse.

The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley provides more than $500,000 annually to help meet the needs of those seeking mental health treatment, according to President Paul S. Homick Jr.

“We are grateful for our donors who help us bring hope to those in our community who need health care. The generosity of our neighbors helps us ensure that everyone is able to get the best care possible even if they are unable to pay,” he says.

The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley is looking ahead to the community health, education and outreach programs funded through donors. More than $2 million was provided for programs such as Prescription Drug Assistance, Hispanic Health, Resource Mother & Fathers, Centering Pregnancy and Stepping Out.

The foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to improve health care in communities by increasing support for projects that expand health care and improve quality of life.

The services Mercy Health currently provides, and new programs we launch, are informed by a community health needs assessment and address the key public health needs and issues facing Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Everything we do is in line with our mission: to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. We remain true to the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, who began providing health care in our community more than 100 years ago.