Breaking Ground to Make a Difference:
Washington County and Southwest Behavioral Health broke ground for Washington County’s new Receiving Center on Friday, March 18th in efforts to help bridge current gaps in behavioral health and substance abuse crises. This new location will be at 5500 W. (Regional Park Road) in Hurricane, Utah.
The Washington County Receiving Center will be a short-term, crisis-care facility for individuals dealing with mental health or substance abuse crises. When appropriate, law enforcement officers will take people to the center instead of jail or the St. George Regional Hospital. Additionally, the Receiving Center will provide walk-in services for individuals or families in crisis.
“So many of our families find themselves dealing with mental health or addiction issues at some point in time,” Commissioner Victor Iverson said. “This Receiving Center will be a valuable resource for families and individuals in crisis. It will also strengthen our law enforcement’s ability to respond to difficult situations with increased effectiveness and bring hope to neighbors and friends who find themselves in hopeless situations.”
The Receiving Center will be centrally located in the county, just off SR-9 near Legacy Park. It will be a short-term, stabilizing facility designed to respond to emergency situations. Southwest Behavioral Health will be running the facility once it is complete, using their knowledge and expertise to help monitor individuals in crisis. Additionally, they will help develop plans so that after the immediate crisis is over, individuals will be connected with other community resources that provide a long-term solution.
We are excited to have this resource in our community and want to thank everyone in attendance at the groundbreaking event. Special thanks to Governor Spencer Cox, Members of the Utah Legislature, MRW Design, Watts Construction, Southwest Behavioral Health, Intermountain Healthcare, and other key stakeholders.