A new approach to treating mental health emergencies is cheaper, frees police for crime-fighting and treats patients in a way that keeps them out of crisis in the future instead of putting them behind bars, a national expert told the Palm Beach County Health Care District in a special session March 12.
The district’s proposed $145 million Two Waters Mental Health Center, whose name was announced at the meeting, is a means to that end, officials say. The district paid $16.7 million for nearly 10 acres on Benoist Farms Road north of Southern Boulevard and west of Florida’s Turnpike for the center. Construction begins next year, and it’s slated to open in 2029.
Dr. Margie Balfour, a national leader in mental health crisis care who contributed to national guidelines, offered a broad community treatment approach that reflects that mental illness is a disease and needs medical care, usually not criminal justice intervention…