I stopped outside Linn County’s future crisis stabilization center on a bike ride on Thursday evening, June 19, 2025.
About year from now, if everything goes according to plan, people in a situation that would normally bring the cops may get help instead at a new center Linn County plans to open on Seventh Avenue across from Albany General Hospital.
With federal grant money under the Covid-era law known as the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA), Linn County bought the medical building at 1050 Seventh Ave. S.W. in June 2024 for $2.5 million.
For a long time the one-story, 11,000-square-foot building housed the Fresenius dialysis clinic that moved to North Albany a few years ago.
Three county programs intended to help pregnant women, infants and children (WIC, Maternal Child Health, and Family Hub) already operate in the building. Now, the remaining half of the building is about to be remodeled to become what the county calls a “crisis stabilization center.”
Last week the Linn County Board of Commissioners chose Essex Construction, of Eugene, as the general manager of the remodeling. The company’s bid, one of six, was $239,320.
The remodeling is estimated to cost around 2 million. The county is getting the money from the Oregon Health Authority, a state agency, and other grant sources.
Staffed by Linn County mental health professionals, the center is expected to open in July 2026. Then, starting in January 2027, it should be open around the clock.
County spokesman Alex Paul described what this center is supposed to do:
“The goal of a crisis stabilization center is to provide short-term care for people who are experiencing a mental health or substance crisis. Care received at the center may help the individual avoid a hospital emergency room visit or interaction with law enforcement.”
The state, he added, is pushing counties to develop these centers as well as mobile intervention teams, which Linn County has.
Benton County opened a crisis center like this in downtown Corvallis last week.
It’s sad that people get themselves into crises in such numbers that county governments have to open centers to try to help. Let’s hope these centers make a positive difference in many troubled lives. (hh)
County programs such as WIC and Maternal Child Health already operate in the building.
Better to spend the monies on helping out fellow citizens than to waste it on Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs.
I’m glad to see this and other crisis centers opening. Our existing support for those in mental health and substance abuse crises are inadequate. I disagree, though, that “people get themselves into crises.” Three people close to me have been both helped and hurt by the existing system — my daughter, my uncle, and a friend. All have worked very hard to do all the right things to help themselves, including schooling, productive work, counseling, leaning on family support, and medication. All have landed into crisis through no fault of their own. One died at 20, one at 55, and one continues on amid periodic episodes of mental health struggles. We need to do better.
Kudos to those who have worked on this much needed project. This will be a great resource for those in crisis.
i agree, a lotta money was wasted on mops. now that doge has done there job, we can make them cheaper, and that means more of them. i thank doge for saving us money on mops.
Hugh waste of tax dollar, no need for a 2 million dollar remodel .use existing structure add some phone lines and desk or two there’re not hundreds of people asking for help every day
This is such a needed accommodation to those struggling with issues that l.e. and hospital staff know very little about. Creating a whole plethora of other issues!! Yay Albany!!
I’m glad for this center, but am ignorant about how the system works. How do those who need the intervention and help get there if the police are not involved? How would anyone know to go there instead of the ER? Sorry, I haven’t heard about these centers and their effectiveness. But I do hope they help individuals and families!
Corvallis Crisis Center will open July 7