Groundbreaking for Innovative Behavioral Health Crisis Center

The innovative project will combine physical and mental health.

A new way of treating mental health patients should open in Guilford County in early 2021. Cone Health, Guilford County and Sandhills Center broke ground on the innovative complex today.

The facility is made up of a mental health urgent care center and two 16-bed facility-based crisis centers: one for adults, the other for adolescents and children. Additionally, there will be space for outpatient services for adults, adolescents and children. These centers will provide comprehensive behavioral health services 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

What is unique about the facilities?

Traditionally, behavioral health facilities treat people for mental health issues only. They often are sent to a hospital to be screened for underlying medical problems before receiving mental health or substance abuse treatment. This facility will provide physical care as well as mental health care. This allows people in a mental health crisis to avoid long waits in noisy, busy emergency rooms.

Who is involved?

Mental health treatment is in crisis. Three large providers in mental health care-- Guilford County, Cone Health and Sandhills Center--formed the Guilford County Behavioral Health Crisis Collaborative as a way to combine efforts. The collaborative is supported by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. It is a unique approach to a common problem.

What are the partners roles?

Guilford County and the State of North Carolina are paying for the design and construction costs of the $20 million adult crisis center. Cone Health will provide services.

Sandhills Center, the local management entity-managed care organization serving Guilford and eight other central North Carolina counties, will cover the design and construction cost for the $8 million child/adolescent crisis center. Sandhills Center will select a service provider. (Regulations prohibit entities like Cone Health from operating two crisis centers in the same location.)

The partnership will seek additional financial assistance from other grantees and donors.

What are the other details?

The adult facility will be 37,258 sq. ft. The child crisis unit is expected to be between 12,000 and 15,000 square feet. It will be in the Maple St. Professional Center at 931 Third St., Greensboro.