Crisis Receiving Center on Schedule to Open in Summer 2025

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors recently saw a presentation on the status of the Prince William Crisis Receiving Center, or CRC, which is set to open in Summer 2025.  

Construction of the project began in January of this year. Matt Villareale, director of the county’s Department of Facilities and Fleet Management, shared with the Board that construction of the facility is on time and within budget. He also shared that there has been significant progress with the mechanical, electrical and plumbing, as well as the framing for the different spaces and drywall installation. The next big milestone is the installation of structure support columns and beams.  

The Crisis Receiving Center will be open 24/7, 365 days a year, to assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, posing a danger to themselves or others, suffering from acute psychosis, intoxication, withdrawal or a combination of these conditions. 

Once the CRC is in full operation, a team of licensed psychiatric providers, registered nurses, licensed care managers, non-licensed behavioral health technicians and certified peers will staff the facility to help stabilize clients over a 23-hour observation period. The CRC's Crisis Stabilization Unit will have 16 adult beds and 16 youth beds; and there will be 16 adult and 16 youth 23-hour observation units.   

"Our vision for the Crisis Receiving Center was to have places for adults and youth to go when they are experiencing a behavioral health crisis to get the help that they needed to immediately resolve the crisis, and where appropriate, to get connected to mental health and substance abuse services," Transformation Management Office Director Lisa Madron told the board in her presentation.   

Calls to the CRC may come from the 988 Regional Crisis Call Line. When needed, a mobile crisis team will go to the scene, assess the situation and potentially arrange transportation for the individual in crisis to get to the CRC. Individuals can also call and go to the CRC for help.  

Prince William County has had mobile crisis teams for several years. However, there has been a gap in services for mental health crises due to the absence of a facility providing onsite intensive mental health crisis services for individuals in need. 

"A crisis receiving center will fill the part of this robust crisis system as it is a place for those seeking help voluntarily or under a temporary detention order," Madron said. "The crisis receiving center offers immediate assessment and 23-hour observation and treatment. For those who may need longer treatment, crisis stabilization beds are onsite."   

Prince William County is contracting with Connections Health Solutions, which pioneered its 23-hour observation model in 1993. The organization serves roughly 30,000 adults and 2,200 youth annually. Connections Health Solutions offers services that stabilize up to 70 percent of its clients within 23 hours. According to the presentation, the average length of stay for residential crisis stabilization is less than four days.   

The core elements of the CRS are timely treatment, safety, accessibility and effectiveness. The aim of the CRC will be to keep clients in a local facility. The CRC will partner with law enforcement, schools, treatment providers and the community to better serve those in need.   

The CRC is funded through local, state, and federal sources and will be one of the state's largest and most comprehensive facilities when it opens.  

"This is a huge initiative, never done like this before in Virginia," Madron said. 

Watch a CRC construction update video. 

To find more information about the CRC facility construction updates, visit pwcva.org/crcupdates.