Third Level Crisis Intervention Center will merge into one of the region’s largest foster care agencies. Third Level is known for helping homeless youth and suicide prevention efforts. It will become part of Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan.
Third Level will keep its name and all its programs will continue.
The director of Child and Family Services, Jim Scherrer, says it is getting more difficult to attract government support for social services. He says taking on Third Level will make Child and Family Services more efficient and broaden its scope. Both agencies work with families and teens in transitions.
“We think that governmental entities that are also looking for efficiencies,” says Scherrer. “And would look more favorably on organizations that either cover a larger region, or have a wider breadth of services that they provide.”
The combined organization will have more than 120 employees across 20 counties.
The only job that will be eliminated is the executive director at Third Level but Ken Homa, the current director, thinks the merger is a good move.
“If anybody shouldn’t feel good about it it’s probably me,” says Homa, “but I feel good about what’s happening here.”
Homa has run Third Level for more than four years. He says he doesn’t have another job lined up at this point and might retire.
