24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 30-december 6, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com the new facility, “says to the community that mental health matters, that it’s important,” says Dr. Susan Swick, Ohana’s founding executive director and chief mental health officer for Montage Health. “And the space makes a difference.” Swick has spent the last five years since she was hired building the Ohana staff and program from scratch, using other offices among Montage’s facilities while waiting for the campus to be completed. Early on, she interacted with nonprofits and school districts, looking for ways to partner and encourage mental health fitness among Monterey County’s students, as well as reduce barriers to children and youth receiving treatment. “The truth is mental illness is really common and it’s always treatable—and if we catch it early it’s curable,” Swick says. Above: The undulating curves of the building, designed by Seattle-based firm NBBJ, connect the physical space and the people inside with the surrounding environment. The reception area of Ohana, the Hawaiian word for “family.” The new center is intended to help fill a gap in care for youth mental health patients. Healing Space Courtesy Montage Health
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