The Centers, a leading behavioral health provider in Cuyahoga County, has announced plans to open a new $28 million crisis center in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood by 2026. This center, set to occupy three floors of a building on the downsized campus of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, aims to enhance mental health and addiction services in a community where these resources have long been limited.
State-of-the-Art Facilities for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
The new facility will be a comprehensive, multi-service center designed to meet a range of urgent mental health and addiction needs. It will feature a receiving center, a psychiatric urgent care unit for both children and adults, detox and mental health recovery beds, as well as inpatient and outpatient care. A pharmacy will also be available on-site, ensuring patients have access to the medications they need for recovery. The center will employ approximately 200 staff members, including nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, and peer support professionals who bring lived experience in dealing with addiction and mental health issues.
The project is funded by the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, which is providing both operating support and funding from a combination of state COVID-19 relief funds, the county’s opioid settlement, a tax credit, and philanthropic donations.
Improving Access to Psychiatric Care
Eric Morse, CEO of The Centers, emphasized that the new facility will drastically improve access to psychiatric services. Traditionally, individuals in psychiatric crises often end up in emergency rooms where they may wait for hours or days without receiving specialized care. The new crisis center aims to streamline this process, allowing individuals to walk in and receive immediate care rather than waiting months for an appointment.
“Today, if you have a psychiatric crisis, you’re often sitting in an emergency room for hours or days, not necessarily getting the specialized treatment that you need,” said Morse. “The fact that they can walk in and get care in the same day, instead of waiting two or three months for an appointment, has been really impactful.”
A More Receptive Environment
In addition to improving access, the crisis center is designed to provide a more supportive and welcoming environment than traditional emergency rooms. Scott Osiecki, CEO of the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County, noted that the center will be designed like a “living room” with comfortable seating instead of the clinical beds typically found in emergency rooms. This will create a more calming atmosphere that is better suited to individuals in crisis, providing them with a space where they can receive care in a more compassionate setting.
“This is just a front door to our system. It’s a part of our crisis continuum of care,” said Osiecki. “This is a much more receptive location.”
The center’s location is strategically placed to be easily accessible, with eight bus routes passing directly by the facility, ensuring that those in need of care can reach it with ease. It is also located near St. Vincent’s former psychiatric emergency room, which was a key provider of mental health services in the community before its closure.
Partnership with St. Vincent
The partnership between The Centers and St. Vincent is key to the project’s success. St. Vincent sold the medical building that will house the crisis center to The Centers, allowing for continued connection to care. The detox unit will be supported by Rosary Hall, part of St. Vincent, which will handle medical care and link patients to outpatient programs. The transition from the old St. Vincent ER to this new crisis facility will ensure continuity of care for patients who were once treated at the hospital.
Addressing Jail Diversion Needs
Another critical component of the new crisis center is its role in jail diversion. Currently, the county’s diversion center does not accept individuals who require involuntary commitment, creating confusion for law enforcement when trying to find the right place for individuals in crisis who may resist treatment.
With the opening of the new center, police will be able to bring all diversion calls directly to the facility. This move is part of a broader effort to reduce the number of individuals with mental health issues who end up in the criminal justice system.
“The long-term goal of this is that if you can get people the treatment when they need it, instead of getting them into the criminal justice system, we should be able to reduce that mental health population in the prison system,” Morse said.
A New Hope for Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood
The opening of the crisis center in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood represents a significant step forward in addressing the region’s mental health and addiction challenges. By providing immediate, specialized care and offering a compassionate, welcoming environment, the new facility will help countless individuals navigate crises and connect them to the resources they need for long-term recovery. It also promises to be a key player in jail diversion efforts, helping to ensure that individuals with mental health needs are treated appropriately and compassionately, rather than being caught in the criminal justice system.
