by Justin McMullen, WKYC

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County will commit $7 million in funds from national opioid settlements towards the construction of its Central neighborhood behavioral health crisis center.

The Opioid Settlement Fund money would cover roughly a quarter of the $28 million facility, which the county plans to open on Sept. 2, 2026. The funding allocation is pending Cuyahoga County approval. 

Officials call the behavioral health center a "first-of-its-kind" facility for Cuyahoga County that would provide "urgent mental health and addiction care." 

"The facility will serve as a critical entry point for individuals in crisis to receive immediate, compassionate, and coordinated care," the county said in a press release Monday. "It will provide crisis stabilization services, detox services, and connections to long-term treatment, helping reduce reliance on emergency rooms and the criminal justice system for behavioral health needs."

The facility, a collaboration between the county and its Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board, will be located on the campus of the former St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and operated by The Centers. The ADAMHS board is providing a total of $9.3 million toward the project, $6.8 million of which comes from federal ARPA funds.

“We thank Cuyahoga County for making a significant investment in the future of behavioral health,” said Scott Osiecki, CEO of the ADAMHS Board. “We launched this initiative to expand the crisis continuum of care and transform how our community responds to the behavioral health needs of individuals in crisis. This additional funding brings the project one step closer to being a true ‘front door’ to the behavioral health system, one where individuals can access immediate care, support and a clear path to recovery.”

The facility will be open 24/7 year-round to adults aged 18 and older. The county says it is designed to serve "thousands" of people with a full continuum of behavioral and physical health services. 

An on-site behavioral health urgent care will be open to youth and adults.

Eric Morse, president and CEO of The Centers, previously told 3News' Annabelle Childers that the first floor of the center will have capacity for 40 people who are in crisis. The second floor will contain 32 beds -- 16 dedicated for detox and 16 dedicated for mental health recovery. The third floor will be an outpatient clinic.

The county said the use of opioid settlement funds, which come primarily from a 2019 settlement, was chosen strategically to ensure funds from the epidemic are reinvested directly into resources that mitigate it.

“Too many families in our community have been torn apart by addiction and mental health crises, and too often they’ve had nowhere to turn,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. “This investment will give people real help at the moment they need it most. It's the kind of bold, coordinated response our residents deserve.”

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