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Franklin County opens first 24/7 mental-health crisis care center; officials say it will ease ER burden
Summary
Panelists announced that Franklin County, with hospital and ADAMH board support, opened Ohio's first 24/7 mental-health crisis care center last month. The center provides urgent-care-style services, 23-hour observation and longer-term care on one campus and is expected to be fully operational in early 2026.
Franklin County health leaders told a Columbus Metro Club forum that the county has opened the state's first 24/7 mental-health crisis care center, designed to provide urgent mental-health assessment and short-term care and to reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments.
"We have opened the first mental health crisis care center in the state of Ohio," Dr. Meshika Roberts, health commissioner for Columbus Public Health, said, adding that the center opened last month with support from the four hospital systems, Franklin County, the City of Columbus and the ADAMH board.
Panelists described three components co-located at the center: an urgent-care-like service for immediate assessments, a 23-hour observation unit and a longer-term care area. "Once it's fully operational, which I think we expect it to be fully operational early 2026, it's gonna take a huge burden off of our hospitals," Dr. Roberts said.
Why it matters: Officials said many hospital emergency rooms carry the burden of patients in mental-health crises because outpatient and community-based behavioral-health capacity is limited. The new center is intended as an alternative triage and stabilization point that can free ER resources for other acute care needs.
Operational notes and timeline
- Opened: panelists said the center opened last month (month not specified in transcript). - Components: urgent-care-style walk-in care for mental-health needs; 23-hour hold capability for stabilization; and adjacent longer-term care options. - Timeline: officials expect full operations by early 2026.
Partners and financing
Panelists credited coordination among hospital systems, Franklin County, the city and the ADAMH board for standing up the center. Dr. Roberts singled out Erica Clark Jones (director of NMH) for organizing partners; the ADAMH board and hospital systems provided support, though precise funding breakdowns were not specified during the forum.
Ending: County and hospital leaders called the center a tangible step toward expanding mental-health capacity in Central Ohio and said it will be one of several place-based and system-level tools to improve access to behavioral-health services.
