The Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC), a first-of-its-kind facility in Mecklenburg County, is in development and should open in early 2023 in east Charlotte. Mecklenburg County government, the Steve Smith Family Foundation, Alliance Health, Daymark Recovery Services and others have partnered to develop the center, a designated intervention and treatment location.
A Behavioral Health Urgent Care is an alternative to a hospital emergency department where patients with urgent primary behavioral health needs will receive triage and referral. Services offered at a BHUC include mental health assessments and evaluations, crisis counseling, medication management, referrals to mental health and substance use outpatient treatment, and more.
“In fiscal year 2020 the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners designated mental health as one of its top priorities for improving the wellness and livelihood of residents,” George Dunlap, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, said during the announcement. “This is an important day for the residents of Mecklenburg County as we continue to find innovative ways to support the needs of the community. Our mission could not be accomplished without the support of our partners. I would like to personally thank Steve Smith and the Steve Smith Family Foundation for their desire to collaborate with us in our effort to support mental health needs within the community.”
The facility is located at 616 Colonnade Drive in east Charlotte. Construction is expected to proceed through 2022 with a projected opening date of January 2023.
Additional partners in the BHUC include the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. The BHUC will also coordinate with Atrium Health and Novant Health on services related to emergency department visits.
The partners worked together on this project due to the Steve Smith Family Foundation’s history of collaboration to provide physical and behavioral health services for families in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. This new partnership will bring an essential, proven service-model to enhance the County’s crisis service continuum.
“Everyone says this is a gift from Steve Smith. This is not a gift from me,” said Steve Smith Sr., Founder of the Steve Smith Family Foundation. “This is a collaboration with the County, a collaboration with my staff, the Steve Smith Family Foundation, for all of the programs and services that we’ve discovered that this county, city and state need.
“This is sweat equity for this community that gave me sweat equity back in 2001,” Smith continued. “This is an opportunity for us to, as a community, gather each other and support each other.”
Per Release