Valley Community Services Board details plan for regional crisis receiving center in Fishersville

Valley Community Services Board (VCSB) leaders presented Waynesboro City Council with site, design, staffing and funding details this evening for a proposed crisis receiving center (CRC) and crisis stabilization unit (CSU) to be built in Fishersville.

The VCSB said the facility will sit on a 6.17-acre parcel (Lot 4) near Augusta Health, at Wilson Lane and Tinkling Springs Road, and will be about 25,439 square feet. The prototype design called for 16 beds/chairs, a pharmacy, exam/vitals rooms, staff offices, a sally port for law enforcement, two enclosed outdoor areas, laundry and clothing storage, a kitchen and about 102 parking spaces. VCSB finance director John Sandy said the project is “right‑zoned” in Augusta County and is intended to serve Waynesboro residents as well as people from Augusta County, Stanton and Highland County.

The board described the facility as a combined CRC/CSU that will provide short‑term receiving and stabilization, detoxification and a pathway to longer care where necessary. Sandy said the design includes a “doc in the middle” so clinicians can serve both chairs and beds, and that the facility will be sprinklered and camera‑secured. He said Augusta County sheriff’s deputies will be housed at the facility and that the sally port and secure law‑enforcement holding areas are intended to protect patient privacy and staff safety.

Why it matters: VCSB presenters said the center aims to reduce law enforcement and emergency room burden by diverting people in behavioral‑health crisis to a setting designed for stabilization and treatment. John Sandy said the center should reduce ER wait times and free deputies to respond to other calls rather than waiting at hospital emergency departments.

Funding and timeline: VCSB presented a preliminary capital budget of about $22 million. The presentation listed the state as providing the largest share (about 78 percent), localities about 9 percent, ARPA funds about 4 percent, and private donations around 1 percent. Sandy noted VCSB appropriated $1.5 million from fund balance (May 2024) and that $802,000 in ARPA funds were allocated to the project. VCSB also formed a 501(c)(3) in November 2024 to raise additional private donations (target roughly $250,000).

Sandy provided a project timeline that assumes design engineering begins in September 2025, finishes by May 2026, with construction and site work taking about 19 months and a one‑month burn‑in period; the projected opening date presented was September 2027. He emphasized the schedule is an estimate and may shift as the design and permitting process proceeds.

Staffing and operations: VCSB said three staff positions will be hired in the 2026 fiscal year to manage licensure, recruitment and design input; those three positions are not intended to allow opening the full facility on day one. Sandy described a ramp‑up to roughly 51 staff over three fiscal years. VCSB said first‑year operating revenue is expected from Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and self‑pay reimbursements; the U.S. Department of Justice mental‑health collaboration grant will cover at least three initial positions in the first year. VCSB acknowledged a likely second‑year funding gap and said it plans budget adjustments and revenue growth from reimbursements to close that gap by 2028.

Design and partners: VCSB said ZMM Architects & Engineers produced the CRC prototype used for the site plan; VCSB is receiving design and project‑management support from a civil firm and a project manager. Partners listed include Augusta Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (state), Augusta County, Stanton and Highland County, and local law enforcement. VCSB noted the Commonwealth has funded prototype CRCs elsewhere and that this will be one of the few newly constructed facilities rather than a retrofit.

Questions and clarifications: Council members asked whether the facility would open with only three staff; Sandy clarified the three positions would be hired early to recruit and meet licensure requirements and that the facility would not open serving all 16 beds/chairs with only three staff. VCSB explained the CRC/CSU model includes short stays (roughly 23 hours for receiving) and longer stabilization stays in the CSU (up to 15 days), with pathways to inpatient care only when clinically necessary.

No action requested: VCSB presented the update for council information; presenters said no formal council action was required at the meeting.