LACASA Center, an independent nonprofit providing hope and healing to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual violence, officially inaugurated a new chapter Monday, cutting the ribbon on the organization’s “Home for Good” on Tooley Road in Howell, and launching the final phase of the capital campaign that has made the state-of-the-art facility a reality.
As LACASA President and CEO Bobette Schrandt told the crowd of roughly 150 local leaders and community supporters gathered in front of the building Monday, “Home for Good” has a dual meaning: it’s both the organization’s forever home, and a place where so much good happens.
“This is a space that was created with intentionality,” Schrandt said. “Every design choice, every facet was chosen for a reason, and grounded in the evidence-based practices and trauma-informed care that guides the critical work that we do here.”
The new facility, which LACASA moved into in January 2024, includes a 56-bed Crisis Shelter, more than doubling the capacity of the previous building LACASA occupied on Grand River Avenue in Howell. In addition to a number of pet-friendly rooms, it also features LACASA’s Safe Pet Place Shelter, which accepts all species of animals. The building houses both pediatric and adult Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) rooms, which provide care in a safe, compassionate, and respectful environment to address survivors’ emotional and medical needs.
In addition, the building is home to the nationally accredited Children’s Advocacy Center, containing evidence-based play therapy rooms, counseling rooms, and two Child Abuse Response Effort (CARE) interview rooms which offer a safe, non-threatening environment for the child, and two-way mirrors and recording equipment for the multi-disciplinary witness team. This minimizes trauma to child victims and their families, reduces the number of duplicate interviews children must endure, and increases prosecution rates.
“This Home for Good means the world to us, but even more importantly, it means the world for our clients, who make the incredibly brave and difficult decision to leave violent situations and start their lives over here,” Schrandt said.
LACASA is the only facility in Michigan serving victims of interpersonal violence to offer a full suite services, including adult counseling, under one roof.
As Marlowe, a former LACASA client whose last name is not being used to protect her privacy told the crowd, “Coming to LACASA was life-changing. I healed through therapy, by being given the resources I needed to get to where I needed to go. They supported me so much that I now have a successful business and I am not ever going back to my former situation.”
State Sen. Lana Theis and State Reps. Ann Bollin and Jennifer Conlin presented LACASA with a tribute signed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and a representative from Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin’s office was also on hand to present a certificate.
The ceremony marked the final phase of the campaign to finish and fully pay off the $15 million building, with just under $3 million left to raise.
Those interested in learning more about the facility or donating to the campaign can visit the new campaign website at www.lacasahomeforgood.info.
