Former public golf resort reopening soon as mental health residential center in Armstrong County
Armstrong County’s former Inn at Lenape Heights Event Center & Golf Resort is poised to reopen this month as a private mental health treatment facility.
“We do envision this being a top-level facility,” said Rob Samuels, co-owner of the planned Lenape Wellness Center in Manor Township. “Our goal is to set a new high-water mark in the industry, helping our clients be their best.”
The former resort was acquired by 950 Golf Course Road LLC in a $2.5 million deal that closed in January. News of the sale spread quickly on social media as people with booked events such as weddings were left scrambling to secure refunds and find other venues.
The new treatment center will focus on short-term treatment for people diagnosed with mental health issues and patients who already completed a detox program elsewhere.
“We don’t have detox here. We’re residential only. Patients will have to be detoxed, and then they’ll come here for treatment,” said Amy Rhoades, the center’s chief clinical officer.
Before the sale, the resort served as a golf course with a boutique hotel, event venue and terrace restaurant.
Types of mental illness that will be treated at the center include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders.
“These will be chronic issues, and a patient could be here 30, 60, 90, 120 days — as long as you need to be here. And we’re going to help maintain you on your journey,” Rhoades said.
Rhoades brings decades of mental health experience to her new role. The licensed registered nurse and social worker is a psychology doctoral candidate at Northcentral University. She earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh and bachelor’s degrees in nursing and social work from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The center’s amenities will include an indoor golf simulator, spa and the golf course.
The facility will include a holistic care approach that includes physical, emotional, social, spiritual and mental elements.
“We aim to improve a patient’s overall quality of life and overall well-being,” Rhoades said.
Individual and group therapies will be required. Other offerings will include equine therapy, a gym, acupuncture, horticulture, massage, meditation, nutritional counseling, yoga, psychotherapy, acupuncture, reflexology, music therapy, and energy therapy such as Reiki.
“There’s a huge need everywhere for mental health services,” Rhoades said.
In addition to the golf course, the 191-acre property features a 2-mile hiking trail and stocked fishing ponds. Crews have been working to clean up the trails, tend to the golf course and prepare residential rooms for occupancy.
The average stay for patients is expected to be several months, Rhoades said. Lenape Wellness is the first mental health facility operated by 950 Golf Course Road LLC.
The business is expected to employ about 50 people, including a staff psychiatrist, nurses and therapists.
Lenape Wellness is not affiliated with any other center.
“The golf course and its benefits are going to make this center like no other,” Samuels said. “We have team members that have come from different facilities and have different skills and experience but this is our team’s first mental wellness center. The uniqueness of this property will allow us to add beneficial programs to traditional services and treatments.”
Five former Lenape Resort employees, including the golf greenskeeper, were retained.
The former pro shop will house employee offices, and the ballroom will be transformed into more offices and an area for patient group therapy sessions.
The large dining room with panoramic views of the golf course will remain, along with the kitchen.
The basement will be renovated into a spa.
“Some of the walls need to be soundproofed, and there’s updating in regard to that,” Rhoades said.
The initial opening rollout will register no more than 22 patients, Rhoades said.
“I’d really like to focus on meeting the needs of the few and making sure they’re set up successfully and grow in that manner,” Rhoades said.
Eventually, the maximum number of patients onsite will be around 40 to 44.
Residents will reside in upscale, European-designed rooms or suites with modern amenities in a building that was formerly a 20-room boutique inn.
Men and women will be housed on separate floors.
The facility is awaiting its Pennsylvania licensing. Rhoades said she doesn’t anticipate any issues with the required licenses.
The Lenape Wellness Center’s website is under construction, and treatment costs are not available because the business isn’t open yet, Samuels said.
Insurance will be accepted and patients are expected to enroll from all over the country.
“Out-of-pocket expenses vary depending on insurance plans and also on the level of services. There will be different services and levels of intensity,” Samuels said.
Medicaid coverage will not be accepted, he said.
The cheapest cost for residential rehabilitation programs in the United States is $6,000 a month, according to data from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. Costs can reach much higher, sometimes more than $30,000 a month depending on the level of services required.
According to 2023 statistics from KFF, a leading U.S. health policy organization, 32% of adults in Pennsylvania reported symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.
Manor Township Supervisor Chairman Don Palmer said township officials fielded complaints about the closing in February, but he said there’s nothing the township can do about who owns the property.
“People complained about losing the golf course, but we haven’t had anything else new in terms of complaints and the owners seem to be sincere. Manor Township does not have any zoning or anything like that,” Palmer said. “We’re hands off.”
Rhoades stressed the center will be a good business neighbor and will be qualified to handle any situation.
“We’re going to have qualified staff on board to manage and mitigate any issues that may arise,” she said. “We’re not acute psych. We are treating people with chronic problems. The people that can’t handle their day-to-day living.”
Acute in medical terms applies to conditions that are sudden and severe at the onset.
Rhoades said the stigma surrounding mental health treatments remains prevalent and that treatment takes time.
“For any type of real progress, it’s a longer length of stay. At the bare minimum, it takes three weeks just to create a new habit,” Rhoades said. “Once you create a new habit, then you have to continue to use it, and it’s a matter of people not talking about mental health.”
Armstrong County Commissioner Anthony Shea said he’s looking forward to the wellness center’s opening, adding it will fill a need in the mental health treatment industry.
“The county wishes the new owners the best, and we’re here to assist as needed,” Shea said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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