St. Joseph’s Villa, Henrico County break ground on youth crisis receiving center
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A crew of county and state officials, legislators, and St. Joseph's Villa staff broke ground April 27 on a youth Crisis Receiving Center that will open on the Villa campus on Brook Road in Northern Henrico next year.
The CRC – the first facility of its kind in Central Virginia – will serve as an emergency room alternative for children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis, providing immediate support for youth and allowing them to be treated in their own community. The CRC will be open 24/7 for walk-in service and will have registered nurses and licensed mental health professionals on site to link youth ages 7 to 17 to the next appropriate level of care within 23 hours of admission. Family involvement will be a key component of the CRC, with in-person and virtual options available.
Among the officials on hand for the groundbreaking were Del. Rodney Willett; Sen. Lamont Bagby; Henrico County Board of Supervisors Chairman Frank Thornton; and Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas. Also participating were St. Joseph’s Villa CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett; Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel, and Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Commissioner Nelson Smith.
“This Crisis Receiving Center specifically designed for youth marks a major milestone in expanding our community’s access to essential mental health care,” said Barrett. “We are proud to collaborate with Henrico County to address the growing need for crisis services, and ensure youth can receive skilled support when they most urgently need it.”
Emergency room visits for suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or suicide attempts among 9 to 18-year-old Virginians more than doubled from 2016-2021, according to Virginia Department of Health data. People in active crisis often wait days to receive appropriate mental health services when seeking help in hospital emergency departments, but officials anticipate that the CRC at St. Joseph’s Villa will help increase local capacity for service and provide youth with rapid access to treatment.
“Henrico County believes in the power of partnerships to build a stronger community, and this project is more evidence of what can happen when nonprofit and government sectors join forces,” said Thornton. “Utilizing the expertise of St. Joseph’s Villa, this center will provide essential mental health services for so many young people–and support for their families–in Henrico and the broader region. Henrico County, the county with a heart, is pleased to facilitate the funding for this effort and is grateful that the Commonwealth of Virginia recognizes its potential to address a vital need for this community.”
Located on the St. Joseph’s Villa campus at 8000 Brook Road, the CRC will serve youth between 7 and 17 years of age residing within Region 4 of Central Virginia. The program will initially serve as many as six youngsters and gradually expand capacity to nine.
Renovations to the 1,780 square-foot building will be completed in 2024, at an estimated construction cost of nearly $1 million. Modifications will include enhanced accessibility features and the installation of ligature resistant fixtures to ensure a safe environment. The project is funded by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
