LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio -- The Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board in Lorain County has voted to move forward with the building of a new Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center (LCCRC).
The facility will be built on the campus of The Nord Center in Lorain, north of The Nord Center’s current building.
Board Chair Dan Urbin spoke of how hard addiction and mental health issues have been hitting Lorain County communities. “That’s why this project is so long overdue, and I look forward to soon seeing shovels in the ground,” he said in a news release.
An architectural firm has been chosen and the next steps will include having the City of Lorain review city requirements with MHARS.
The new facility will include 32 beds for short-term care -- 16 for those struggling with mental health issues and 16 for those struggling with addiction.
Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley commented with enthusiasm on the project: “I believe this is a solid project for our community. All too often, our police are faced with a difficult situation that trained crisis counselors should be handling.
“Our police are often faced with the challenging decision of either taking the person to a hospital emergency room or to jail. This facility will provide a better alternative as one where the person in distress will receive the proper care in a more conducive setting.
“Hopefully, this will help those most in need to get the help they need without putting additional stress on our police and emergency room staffs.”
Funding for the facility includes $1.5 million in federal money, while the MHARS board is allocating up to $4 million. The Lorain County commissioners are also allocating up to $4 million, funded by an opioid settlement and the American Rescue Plan Act.
MHARS has also reached out to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for a $750,000 donation. Additionally, private donations of about $2 million are being finalized.
For more information on the Crisis Receiving Center project, visit https://mharslc.org/category/blog/.
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