More than 100 government officials, first responders, and community members attended a recent groundbreaking ceremony for the new DuPage County Crisis Recovery Center.
Mental health and substance use facility
The 33,000-square-foot facility on the DuPage County Health Department campus will feature 35 individual patient spaces and be open 24/7.
It will be separated into three parts: one for youth mental health, another for adults to sober or manage withdrawal, and one for adult mental health. The center will serve as an alternative to unnecessary emergency room visits and 911 calls.
“We should, could, and now will create a centerpiece of mental health and substance use treatment in DuPage County,” said DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy.
Executive Director of the DuPage County Health Department Adam Forker said the new facility will greatly benefit area residents facing a crisis.
“Our current 24/7 crisis services available now include someone to call with our local hotline, and include(s) someone to respond to our mobile crisis response program,” said Forker. “It includes very limited somewhere to go for adults only right now. And so the Crisis Recovery Center is the next step in the keystone element of this system, providing a more comprehensive somewhere to go.”
$26 million project in the heart of DuPage County
The $26 million facility was funded through the DuPage County Board, the American Rescue Plan, the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, and the DuPage County Health Department, which includes a $1 million grant from U.S. Rep Sean Casten through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“When all of us have that potential for a bad day, we’ve got a resource we can go through to help us get through, to help us get better, and then help us be that beacon of hope and love to the folks in our community and pay it forward,” said Casten.
In attendance Monday was Felicia Miceli, who lost her son Louie to a heroin overdose when he was 24. She started the LTM Foundation in 2012 to bring awareness to the devasting effects of heroin.
Miceli said it was comforting to know DuPage County will have “the best possible facility available” for distressed residents.
“People do recovery when they’re surrounded by people who truly respect, understand, and make them feel safe,” said Miceli. “I know this place will ensure that happens a lot more frequently.”
Construction on the Crisis Recovery Center is expected to be completed in summer 2025.
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