Today, Riverside Behavioral Health Center (RBHC) held a celebratory beam signing ceremony to mark a milestone in the construction progress for the freestanding psychiatric emergency department (ED) scheduled to open in late 2023. Guests were provided the opportunity to sign the 25’-5” long structural beam which was placed at the junction between the psychiatric ED and the Ambulance Sally Port.
“The new psychiatric ED will be a 24-hour, 7 day-a-week support option for community members who may be experiencing a psychiatric crisis,” Ryan McQueen, M.D., Chief of Behavioral Health and Medical Director for Adolescent Services at RBHC. “The new facility will provide an environment customized to treat anyone experiencing a psychiatric emergency or substance abuse disorders.”
The nearly 15,800 square-foot facility is designed to care for patients with mental illnesses, behavioral health concerns and substance abuse disorders who otherwise would go to local medical emergency rooms. The psychiatric ED will include space for individual and community treatments and separate units for adults and children.
“We are excited to celebrate this milestone in the construction of our new psychiatric ED,” says Stacey Johnson, President of RBHC. “We are one step closer to opening this uniquely designed facility that will provide a critical resource for those experiencing a mental health crisis.”
The construction of the new psychiatric ED broke ground in June of this year and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2023.
To learn more about RBHC, visit riversideonline.com/rbhc.