A new crisis center has officially broken ground, which will provide urgently needed care for up to 24 individuals, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Wednesday.
The $12.5 million Colonial Behavioral Health Crisis Services Center is part of Youngkin’s Right Help, Right Now behavioral health transformation initiative.
The center will be the only one of its kind between Glen Allen and Hampton, according to Youngkin’s office, and will serve as a hub for Virginia’s growing crisis response system.
It will include a Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center, a Crisis Receiving Center, and a Crisis Stabilization Center to ensure residents in the Greater Williamsburg area have access to life-saving services.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a clear sign of the progress we are making through Right Help, Right Now. Across Virginia, we have more than quadrupled calls to 988, expanded to over 100 mobile crisis teams operating 24/7, and continue to grow crisis centers statewide,” Youngkin said. “This progress showcases the forward momentum for Colonial Behavioral Health, whose decades of service have made this community stronger. With this new center, Colonial is expanding that legacy and ensuring that when a Virginian is in crisis, help and hope are never out of reach.”
In 2024, Colonial Behavioral Health served more than 3,500 residents in Williamsburg, James City County, York County, and Poquoson. Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly said the expansion of care allows people to access the help they need at the right level.
“This new facility builds on that momentum, ensuring that families here have quicker pathways to support and more options for recovery, dignity, and hope,” Kelly said.
Nelson Smith, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, said the new crisis center represents the future of behavioral health care, which will be based around timely access, community-based services, and coordinated support.
“By expanding crisis receiving and stabilization services here, we are ensuring that people in this region can find the right care, close to home, when they need it most,” Smith said.
The Right Help, Right Now initiative is a three-year, $1.4 billion investment into Virginia’s behavioral health system. Since it was launched in 2022, it has expanded the 988 suicide prevention line and integrated 911 and 988 into 50 emergency communication centers.
“This groundbreaking shows Right Help, Right Now in action,” said Hallie Pence, Executive Director of Right Help, Right Now. “Every new crisis center means faster care, fewer people in emergency rooms, and more Virginians finding hope close to home. Colonial’s leadership proves what is possible when local and state partners work hand in hand.”
