Staunton City Council heard, at its Aug. 14 meeting, from officials from the Valley Community Services Board, which hopes to open a Crisis Receiving Center in 2027, near Augusta Health in Fishersville.
Serving Augusta and Highland counties, and the cities of Waynesboro and Staunton, the CRC would provide services for Crisis Receiving, Crisis Stabilization and Detoxification Unit in a 25,495-square-foot facility, according to VCSB Director of Finance John Sandy.
“And it’s approximate to Augusta Health, which is very necessary for the facility to operate,” Sandy said.
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“As many of you know, we hope that this will actually save localities money, especially related to your law enforcement, your sheriff’s office,” Sandy said to Staunton City Council at its regular meeting on Aug. 14.
The goal is for police officers to return to answering calls, not waiting with patients who require services.
“It’s a really positive change for the community,” Sandy said.
The CRC will be next to the new Wawa on Tinkling Spring Road. The property on which the 16-bed- and 16-chair-CRC will be built will not be adjacent to residential homes in Fishersville.
The facility design is by ZMM Architects and Engineers of Charleston, West Virginia, of “a prototypical CRC facility,” Sandy said. Medical, pharmacy and laundry services are included in the design.
An emergency access lane will be provided for first responders and law enforcement, and 102 parking spaces for visitors and staff.
The majority of funding for the construction of the facility is $15,029,900 from Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services in the amount of 75 percent of costs. Grant funding from VDBHDS provided $802,000 and the VCSB Board Reserve provided $1.5 million. Service localities of Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County and Highland County contributed $2,329,428.
“And then we’re also excited to have a nonprofit corporation that was founded last year, received its nonprofit status in November and that is called Valley Community Services Outreach,” Sandy said. The hope is that donations through the nonprofit will provide one percent of the cost, or $250,000, to pay for furniture and equipment.
The six acres of land was purchased for $971,705 and construction is projected to cost approximately $10.9 million. The total cost to build the CRC will be $19,911,595.
According to Sandy, the majority of the funding is already available, except for construction grant funding from VDBHDS of $9.6 million.
The CRC will begin to see reimbursement revenue in fiscal year 2028.
“I think it’s a much-needed facility,” said Councilman Blake Shepherd. “And, I agree, I think it will help alleviate a lot of pressure and time off law enforcement and hospitals as well.”
Shepherd asked if patients will be separated inside the facility according to gender and age.
“It will only serve adults. We’re not able to have one facility be able to serve adults and juveniles or children,” Sandy said. Accommodations according to gender will not be available and are not required by the Commonwealth.
Councilman Jeff Overholtzer asked if an estimate was available for how many individuals will not have to go to an emergency room because the CRC will be an option as of September 2027.
“In national data, 60 percent fewer is kind of the overhaul. You’re still going to have 40 percent who need to go to the hospital because they’re medically fragile or we can’t accommodate them with the [services] that we have or they have to go to jail,” Valley Community Services Board Executive Director Kimberly McClanahan said.
An Augusta Health survey of emergency room patients revealed a 40 percent drop is possible if a CRC is available in the area.
Staunton Mayor Michele Edwards asked which locality will be housed in the court room and sheriff’s office within the facility. Full-time officers will be provided from Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County and Highland County.
Edwards also asked if the facility’s construction allows for potential growth in the future.
According to McClanahan, the maximum beds allowed are 16, otherwise the facility would be considered a mental health facility and Medicaid would not be reimbursable. If VCSB decided in the future to have services available for juveniles, a separate building would be necessary.
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Rebecca Barnabi
