Tuscaloosa County Loses Out On $6M Mental Health Crisis Center

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County officials have confirmed that the county was passed over in favor of Jefferson County to be the recipient of $6 million in state funding to expand access to mental health services at the county level.

As Patch reported in February, the funding would have been used by Tuscaloosa County to construct the area's first mental health crisis center — a resource that is sorely needed when considering jail and prison overcrowding, along with a lack of state hospital beds in mental health facilities.

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The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office made its announcement confirming the news during a press conference on Tuesday, projecting that its new mental health facility will be completed by 2022. The funding for the project is made possible by contributions from the state and the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

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"We remain in dire need of additional mental health services in our community, so this outcome is very disappointing," Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson told Patch following the announcement. "These new centers are a step in the right direction for our state and the best thing we can do is roll up our collective sleeves and start preparing for the next opportunity to land one in Tuscaloosa County."

Three state-funded mental health crisis diversion centers were approved in the first round of funding, with locations in Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery. Patch confirmed in February when the application process had been narrowed down to Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties.

As Patch previously reported, those in Tuscaloosa experiencing a mental health crisis are usually put on one of two routes — through DCH-Northport's Emergency Department or North Harbor Pavilion. Officials have argued that some of these include people experiencing symptoms due to drug and/or alcohol use, which are cases that would be better handled through a specialized crisis center like the one being jockeyed for by Tuscaloosa County.

In total, the Tuscaloosa Police Department confirmed to Patch that its officers responded to a total of 50 calls concerning mental health crises just in the month of September, in addition to 79 mental health calls responded to by Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies. There is a local consensus among local officials that acknowledges the lack of necessary resources, underscoring the demand for facilities designed specifically for treatment as opposed to traditional incarceration.

Thus far in 2021, TPD says it has responded to 426 mental health calls, in addition to 118 individuals threatening suicide. Fortunately, the overall number of calls is lower from the 517 logged by the same point last year.

Last year, alone, saw TPD respond to a total of 653 calls regarding mental health issues.

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