GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County is breaking ground on a transformative new mental health facility.
County officials say it will help keep up with a growing need in the community.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson learned the new crisis unit will serve those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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County leaders said that as the region grows, so is the need for mental health services.
They’re trying to avoid emergency rooms for those in a mental health crisis, and where there’s dirt in place now, soon there will be a 24/7 resource center.
Cheers went up as shovels hit dirt Tuesday.
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For Gwinnett County, this is more than just another government building in the works, it’s a game-changer for families facing mental health crises.
“We recognize that there has been a need for mental health resources for our residents,” Gwinnett County Commission Chair Nicole Hendrickson told Channel 2 Action News.
The new three-story, 84,000 square-foot Community Resource Center on Grayson Highway will be the first 24-hour mental health facility in Gwinnett County.
Officials said the current situation sees people in crisis often ending up in hospitals after hours.
“Right now there’s not a 24/7 access point for behavioral health crisis,” Jennifer Hibbard, View Point Health CEO, said.
The mostly federally funded project will include a 30-bed crisis unit.
Hibbard told Channel 2 Action News that their current facility is bursting at the seams.
“We have three people to a room, so it’s really not conducive to a healthy recovery environment,” she said.
For families who have had loved ones sent to jail instead of treatment, the new center brings hope.
“Mental health issues have oftentimes been criminalized,” Hendrickson explained.
The facility will also house office space for county partners and serve as a community hub for programs supporting mental and behavioral health, veteran services, and childhood development.
Construction is expected to take about a year, with the facility potentially opening in 2026.
“We are just absolutely thrilled, and the need has only grown,” Hibbard said. “We really want to make sure that we have high quality, comfortable, compassionate care available for those in need.”
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