The need for psychiatric beds in Alabama is so acute that East Alabama Health had to reject nearly 500 mental health patients in 2021.

In an effort to alleviate this problem, East Alabama made the decision to build a new freestanding psychiatric hospital, and they recently held a groundbreaking for their Center for Mental Health, which is set to open in Fall 2025. The 54,000-square-foot psychiatric hospital will be situated in the Village Professional Park, between the Spencer Cancer Center and Pinnacle Cardiovascular Associates.

The $30 million project will include 40 beds, all in private rooms, an increase from the current mental health facility’s 28 beds, and will have dedicated spaces for the inpatient units for patients with varying short-term and long-term needs. The expansion will also house the East Alabama Psychiatric Services (EAPS) outpatient clinic.

There is an urgent need for more psychiatric facilities in Alabama because since 1955, the state-funded psychiatric beds have declined by 97 percent, while emergency department visits related to behavioral health have risen by 44 percent since 2006.