RICHMOND, Ind. – Damar Services Inc., a nonprofit organization based out of Indianapolis, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week to mark its official welcome to the Richmond community. Local leaders, including the mayor and members of the Chamber of Commerce, gathered to celebrate the occasion at Damar’s newly acquired campus on the east side of town.
“We received so much support today,” said Jim Dalton, President and CEO of Damar Services Inc. “It was really about welcoming Damar to the great Richmond community and an introduction to some of the services we may provide here.”
Damar is focused on behavioral and developmental support for children and adults.
The property that is now home to Damar, was formerly known as the Wernle Youth & Family Treatment Center. After acquiring the property in February of this year, the buildings have all been repurposed for Damar’s vision.
Damar expects to begin programming on the campus in early to mid-2026. Services will initially include residential psychiatric care for youth with autism, but the organization also aims to create broader partnerships with local and statewide agencies to address more complex behavioral and developmental health needs.
The campus includes eight main buildings and lots of green space. While not all facilities will be fully operational by 2026, Damar anticipates employing more than 100 staff by that time. Plans include independent living apartments for youth transitioning out of foster care, specialized group homes, educational facilities, and clinical offices.
“The state has a lot of challenging issues with kids that have high acuity needs and they’ve been looking for ways to solve some of these problems. One of our ideas is that we’re going to bring in a lot of experts on this campus and help the state solve some of those problems,” Dalton said. “We’re really looking at community partnerships in addition to the expansion of our core mission.”
Initial hiring announcements began this week, with full-scale recruitment expected later this year and into January. Open positions range from clinical professionals to direct care staff, groundskeeping, food service, and administrative roles.
Dalton emphasized a commitment to transparency and accessibility as a core part of its campus culture, contrasting with the previous perception of the site as closed off.
“We want to be an open and transparent organization. Things like visiting hours, we don’t have visiting hours. If your child or family is here, you can come anytime. You don’t have to call ahead, you can show up,” Dalton said. “We have nothing to hide; we’re doing our best.”
