Claritel Behavioral Health tells DeKalb committee crisis center short staffed, seeks county support and housing pilots

Claritel Behavioral Health updated the DeKalb County PECS committee on operations, capacity and funding shortfalls and described several proposals to expand housing and crisis services.

At the meeting, Claritel reported it is operating 24 of 36 licensed crisis-stabilization beds because of a funding deficit. Fabio, a Claritel representative, said the crisis center “has a deficit of $2,800,000 this year,” and that the organization estimates it would need roughly $4 million more to operate the full 36-bed capacity.

The agency described a two-part proposal for addressing capacity: build a smaller, new crisis center and renovate the existing facility to provide transitional housing. Fabio summarized the approach as a way to “still at least increase some capacity for transitional housing and have a new facility.” He told commissioners that the state did not appear likely to fund a larger expansion, so Claritel hopes to proceed with a smaller new center and repurpose the current building for housing supports.

Clarite…