BayCare Behavioral Health has started construction on Pasco County’s first Central Receiving Facility (CRF), marking a significant development for mental health services in the area. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 20 at the BayCare Behavioral Health Institute campus in New Port Richey.
The CRF will offer crisis intervention, assessment, and referral services for individuals facing mental health or substance use crises. It is scheduled to open next summer and will expand upon the current Interventional Stabilization Unit (ISU) at the same location. The project is funded by more than $2 million from both state allocations and a donation from the Morton Plant Mease Hospital Foundation.
State Senator Ed Hooper, who advocated for the project along with State Representative Brad Yeager, highlighted the ongoing need for such facilities. “In my days as a professional firefighter, I met so many people who clearly needed help and there was nowhere for them to go,” said Hooper. “The need for mental health care counseling and for behavioral health care keeps growing every year. It’s so important for the wellbeing of not just a family or individual but for our entire community,” he added. “BayCare is the greatest total provider of behavioral health care in Florida.”
BayCare President and CEO Stephanie Conners attended the event, as did Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and other local officials.
