As the state grapples with increasing mental health needs, a new facility moved Birmingham one step closer to being able to provide more care space on Tuesday.

This week the Jefferson, Blount, St. Clair (JBS) Mental Health Authority hosted the official ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for their new state funded mental health facility.

“Cutting the ribbon on this Craig Crisis Center here in Birmingham, it’s a game changer,” said Gov. Ivey. “…This was truly a community outpouring of support and that means a lot when you’re trying to come up with a new way to provide needed care service.”

“In March of this year, 2023, we’ll have six of these crisis centers in operation here in Alabama. So, this is a major step in improving mental health care for our citizens. They can get immediate attention and care in a place that’s got well trained people. So, I am proud to be a part of this effort for moving forward for all of Alabama.”

The $6 million facility, located on Beacon Pkwy. W in Birmingham, was named the Craig Crisis Care Center in early October in dedication to former JBS executive director Dr. Richard Craig.

Craig said that his long-term effort to obtain a place for those in mental health crisis to go besides jail or the ER was only made possible through extensive support from both the Birmingham community and the state.

“My name is on the building, but I’m just a guy,” said Craig. “… You guys [JBS and the Alabama Department of Mental Health] did a great job over the years planning routes to get us going.”

Gov. Ivey attended the ceremony as a speaker along with the following government and mental health officials:

• Commissioner Kimberly Boswell, Alabama Department of Mental Health

• Jim Crego, Executive Director, JBS Mental Health Authority

• Senator Jabo Waggoner, Alabama District 16

• Sheriff Mark Pettway, Jefferson County

• Daniel Hargrove, Certified Peer Specialist, JBS Mental Health Authority

Since 2020 Ivey has announced the funding of six mental health crisis centers in total across the state. This is the fourth one that has been constructed so far along with similar centers in Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery. The final two were announced by Ivey last May and will be located in Tuscaloosa and Dothan.

Pettway called Ivey and Waggoner’s support of this project “good government” and said over 300 of his deputies had been trained so far in how to handle calls for mental health crises and de- escalation. He added that officers from other surrounding areas were also invited to come down to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and train.

“This is a game changer for all law enforcement,” said Pettway. “No longer will we have to wait in the hospital 8, 10, or 15 hours. We can drop them off and get back to your community in a few minutes. That is also good government.”

Dr. Sabrina Scott was named executive director of the Craig Crisis Care center last February and comes to the position with 15 years of clinical and managerial experience according to the JBS website.

The new facility has a total of 48 beds, 32 of which will be for temporary stays. The remaining 16 beds will be for extended observation for those 19 or older “actively experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis” according to a previous JBS press release.

Temporary beds have a maximum stay of 23 hours and the extended observation beds have a maximum stay of up to five days.

Craig previously said this is due to a state policy that will only pay for up to seven days of care.

During the ribbon cutting ceremony Crego explained that once people were stabilized at the center, they would be set up with local resources in their community to ensure continued success.

Crego said while JBS does not have an exact date they plan to open to the public; they are aiming for mid-February. He said the reason for this was to give staff, law enforcement, and local emergency departments time to learn about and acclimate to the new facility.

He added that once the center officially opens, it will be open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year so there won’t be an opportunity to close and reopen if there are issues the first time around.

He continued that even though JBS was taking the time to ensure efficiency, this didn’t mean they were trying to any slower than necessary.

“We’re not going to drag our feet,” said Crego. “We know the need is out there.”