People experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis will soon have a place besides jail to go to when they are in need of emergency evaluation and stabilization.
That place will be Meridian Healthcare’s central receiving facility (CRF) at 1541 SW Williston Road in Gainesville.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the CRF will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, after which the facility will officially open.
The green light to develop the CRF was given in 2021 by city of Gainesville and Alachua County officials when they announced they had the money to build the facility, as well as some operational costs for the facility, according to an article published in The Sun in 2021.
“With this facility, first responders and law enforcement officers will have a centralized location to bring individuals in crisis; thereby, reducing the need for unnecessary emergency room visits or jail time,” said CRF Director Jennifer Barber, in a press release by Meridian.
The innovative facility is set to revolutionize the way mental health and substance use crises are managed in the community, providing a single point of access for individuals in need of emergency evaluation and stabilization. Individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis also can walk in voluntarily, according to the press release.