Georgia opens new behavioral health crisis center in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday marked the opening of Georgia’s newest behavioral health crisis center.

The new state-of-the-art facility, operated by Serenity Behavioral Health Systems, officially opened at 3421 Mike Padgett Highway.

The center was made possible through a state investment, including nearly $14 million in construction funding and $9.4 million for operations provided by the state.

The center replaces Serenity’s previous 16-bed crisis stabilization unit, which served the community for 17 years with funding support from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Expanded capacity

The new facility significantly expands crisis response capacity and includes:

• 24 crisis stabilization unit beds.
• 16 temporary 23-hour observation chairs,
• Capacity to serve up to 40 people at once.
• Staff increases from about 200 to 245

“We care. We’re here to help people. We’re here to serve,” said Chuck Williamson, the CEO of Serenity Behavioral Health.

The center will provide short-term stabilization, assessment and treatment services for individuals experiencing behavioral health or substance use crises.

People can seek services voluntarily or be referred through law enforcement, hospitals or the courts. The typical stay is three to five days but can be as long as 10 days.

Meeting community need

Bethany Trapp and Lt. Sean Rhodes say they head into encampments and wooded areas twice a month, connecting people in crisis to help.

“We go out and seek out these individuals that aren’t coming for resources, that may be suffering from a mental health situation,” said Rhodes, a lieutenant with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Outreach Team.

“We actually came across a couple of folks this morning who are in the middle of drug use, who said, ‘I want to get clean,’” said Trapp, program coordinator for CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority’s Marion Barnes Center.

Rhodes said law enforcement is often first on scene, and with emergency rooms and jails serving as the overflow for people in crisis, the need for this expansion goes beyond the new facility.

“This will take a lot of pressure off of the courts, off the jails, off law enforcement. There’s finally a place that’s very much dedicated and specialized in helping people when they have a crisis of those types,” Williamson said.

Part of statewide strategy

The opening of the Augusta Behavioral Health Crisis Center is part of Georgia’s broader strategy to build a stronger, more responsive behavioral health system focused on early intervention, crisis stabilization and long-term recovery support.

In the past five years, the state has started developing five new crisis center locations in Clayton, Fulton, Laurens and Richmond counties.

“This center represents hope for individuals and families experiencing a behavioral health or substance use crisis while also providing critical support to hospitals, law enforcement, and emergency responders throughout the region,” Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Kevin Tanner said at Wednesday’s ceremony.

“For the first time, in my lifetime, I see that behavioral health and mental health is being given respect and parity with primary care and physical health care,” Williamson said.

Officials with Serenity Behavioral Health said the timeline to move into the new facility is still being finalized, but they expect the transition to take place in June.