Speakers announce new Citrus Behavioral Health Facility; counties, state pledge $2 million each

An announcement in Citrus County outlined plans for the Citrus Behavioral Health Facility, a more-than-40,000-square-foot mental health campus expected to open in 2027 that will include 60 beds, officials said.

Speaker 1 said, "This is our Citrus Behavioral Health Facility," and described the campus as part of a mission "bringing hope to life." The speaker said the facility will have "60 beds, 40 of which will be acute care beds and 20 residential beds," and that on-site wellness and enrichment services will expand in the new building.

Speaker 2 explained funding for the project, saying, "Citrus County contributed $2,000,000 to the project. Hernando ... County contributed $2,000,000 to the project right here in Citrus County, and then the state kicked in an additional $2,000,000." Speaker 2 added that, because the site will be LifeStream's facility, "they are paying the balance of the cost of constructing it."

Both speakers said the campus aims to keep care local. "Folks who need the services that they have to offer, they'll no longer have to travel over to Lake County or across the state to other facilities to get those services rendered," Speaker 2 said.

The presenters framed the project as both a health resource and an economic benefit, noting staff who will provide services "are Citrus County residents. They're Hernando County residents," Speaker 1 said, adding the center intends to be "a center of excellence and an employer of choice in our shared community."

No formal votes or ordinance numbers were mentioned in the announcement. The presenters gave a single target year for opening: "We're looking at the 2027 for our Citrus Behavioral Health building," Speaker 1 said.

Details such as a precise opening date, the total construction budget beyond the county and state pledges, and the specific services to be offered at each level of care were not specified in the announcement.