David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC), Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health provider, applauds the Collier Board of County Commissioners for their historic vote Tuesday, Jan. 14, to approve the contract for the Collier County Behavioral Health Center. This decision was the final step in advancing this critical community project and solidifies a long-standing partnership between Collier County and DLC to provide lifesaving and life-changing behavioral health services to those in need.
“Our community is facing the worst mental health and substance use crisis in its history, with more and more people seeking care each day. The Collier Board of County Commissioners’ decision to move forward with the creation of the Collier County Behavioral Health Center brings us another step closer to providing hope to Collier County residents in need,” said Scott Burgess, chief executive officer of DLC. “We are proud to partner with the county on this important community project and are confident in our ability to continue to provide lifesaving and life-changing care to community members in crisis.”
Identified as the No. 1 priority in Collier County’s first-ever mental health and addiction services strategic plan, the Collier County Behavioral Health Center will significantly expand the number of Collier County community members who can receive crisis care. The center, which will be located on 5 acres nearby DLC’s Bathey Lane campus, will nearly triple the number of adults DLC can currently serve, including those requiring inpatient care through the Baker Act and Marchman Act and seniors with Medicare who need inpatient care.
“We have been fully committed to this project since day one, and have been honored to work with County staff and our partners at RG Architects and DeAngelis Diamond to design this much-needed center to address the urgent needs in our community, now and for the future. We’re also grateful to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Coalition for Healthy Minds and others who have worked relentlessly to move this project forward.” said Burgess.
“In the next few weeks, David Lawrence Centers will be conveying the land for the Collier County Behavioral Health Center without cost to the county in tandem with entering into an operating agreement. We’re eager to put shovels in the ground and begin construction during the first quarter of this year, all so we can save more lives right here in our community.”
Construction of the Collier County Behavioral Health will be fully funded with money raised through the voter-approved 2018 infrastructure sales surtax. As part of an agreement between Collier County and DLC, DLC has agreed to support operations at the new facility as part of a long-term service agreement. DLC will continue to provide high-quality crisis care to community members in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Additionally, DLC will deed over 5 acres to Collier County nearby the Bathey Lane campus for construction of the behavioral health center.
For more than 55 years, DLC has been at the forefront of the mental health challenges facing the community and has a thorough understanding of the impact mental health crises have on families, schools and workplaces. Providing 24/7 emergency behavioral health care through the Collier County Behavioral Health Center will allow DLC to respond more effectively to the growing demand for behavioral health services in the community.