Rep. Yasmin Neal Works to Secure $19 Million for 24-Hour Mental Health Crisis Facility in Clayton County

ATLANTA - State Representative Yasmin Neal (D-Jonesboro) announces that the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and the Clayton County Board of Commissioners are partnering to build a $19 million Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC) in Clayton County.

"It has been a pleasure and labor of love to work diligently to pursue this funding and bring these funds into the county," said Rep. Neal, Chair of the Clayton County Legislative Delegation. "For too long, Clayton County has lacked sufficient alternatives for citizens suffering with mental health. I would like to thank the Governor's Office for their support. I would also like to thank Commissioner Kevin Tanner and his team. It has been such a joy to work with Commissioner Tanner and his staff to make this funding a reality. Their engagement and communication have been top-tier. It has also been a pleasure working with Commissioner Alieka Anderson-Henry and her team to prepare for this moment. I look forward to this mental health facility providing relief from our hospital, sheriff's office and police department by placing those suffering with mental health into the proper facilities to receive proper treatment. I look forward to continuing to work to bring additional funding into the county."

The Clayton County BHCC will provide individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis with 24/7 access to a clinical team to determine care, observation and stabilization needs. The 24-crisis bed model is designed to offer clinical evaluations, temporary observation and stabilization admission, depending on level of need. People with behavioral symptoms or withdrawal needs are clinically assessed to determine the right level of care, from outpatient to stabilization. DBHDD estimates it will cost approximately $19 million to construct the facility.

Representative Yasmin Neal represents the citizens of District 79, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Judiciary Non-Civil, Public Safety and Homeland Security and Ways & Means committees.

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