Artist rendering of the Potomac Pavilion, 1290 S. Potomac St.
AURORA | Aurora Mental Health and Recovery will open a new walk-in access facility later this month designed to provide immediate mental health and substance use services under one roof.
“Our mission is to provide top-notch care when you need it most,” Tod Cavey, marketing director, said in a statement. “No more traditional process where you experience days of waiting to receive your first visit with a therapist. Your worst day can be the day that you receive the help and hope that you need…care is now.”
The new Potomac Pavilion, 1290 S. Potomac St., will begin serving the public in phases, officials said. The organization’s Connect to Care program is scheduled to open Jan. 26, offering same-day, non-emergency mental health services during weekday business hours.
The facility’s 24-hour crisis services includes a crisis walk-in clinic, a crisis stabilization unit and detox facility. scheduled to open Jan. 31.
As programs move to the new site, Aurora Mental Health and Recovery’s existing facility at 2206 Victor St. will close Jan. 26.
The Potomac Pavilion is intended to simplify access to behavioral health care for individuals and for first responders who encounter people in crisis, according to the Cavey.
The building includes an ambulance bay to allow law enforcement and emergency medical personnel to bring people experiencing mental health or substance use crises directly to specialized care rather than hospital emergency rooms.
People seeking care can enter through one of two entrances, depending on their needs.
The west entrance will serve the “Connect to Care” program, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Individuals will receive a mental health screening and meet with an initial therapist, who will assess their needs and connect them with an appropriate care plan and ongoing services.
The north entrance will operate 24 hours a day, every day, providing access to emergency mental health and substance use services.
Through this entrance, individuals can receive immediate screening and stabilization at the “Crisis Walk-In Clinic” or be admitted to the facility’s 16-bed “Crisis Stabilization Unit” or Withdrawal Management program, formerly known as East Metro Detox. Typical stays range from one to five days, officials said.
The $38 million project is a collaboration among Aurora, Adams and Arapahoe counties, the State of Colorado and federal funding sources.
Aurora Mental Health and Recovery is a nonprofit community mental health organization that provides mental health and addiction services across the region.
If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988 for help or go to 988Colorado.com.
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