By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
MANDEVILLE – Parish President Mike Cooper said he does not expect the Safe Haven Crisis Receiving Center to remain closed for very long, after the original operator unexpectedly pulled out less than a year after the much-awaited clinic opened, and sooner than they originally reported to the parish they would leave.
The Crisis Receiving Center (CRC) is a key component to the growing Safe Haven complex in Mandeville at the former Southeast Louisiana Mental Health Hospital property, purchased by the parish to offer comprehensive mental health treatment and services to the public.
While many other services, both in-patient and outpatient, have opened over the years at Safe Haven, the CRC was a major addition since it offers the public a 24/7, 365-day a year place to go for any mental health crisis situation.
Additionally, it offered law enforcement a place to bring individuals who were taken into custody after they answered emergency calls but believed those involved needed mental health care instead of going to jail.
The center finally opened for business in October 2021 and was operated by START Corporation, but Cooper said he was contacted by START in early June and given a 60-day notice that they would be pulling out. Then, START left the parish in a bad position by suddenly closing its doors June 30.
Cooper still said the application process for new operators has already begun and he believes they can have a new operator by August.
“We understand very clearly that the need for mental health services in St. Tammany Parish remains substantial,” Cooper said. “Not only have the statistics confirmed the need, but more importantly, our loved ones and neighbors continue to struggle.”
The Crisis Receiving Center provides intervention and stabilization for those in a behavioral health crisis, offering an immediate first step to help those in serious condition.
Safe Haven, and the CRC, are a result of parish leaders beginning years ago to create such a campus. Attention to the matter was evident as St. Tammany rose to rank among the highest parishes for suicide in the state, now averaging 42 suicides a year for the past 10 years.
The parish reported that in 2021 alone there were nearly 5,000 parish residents who “withstood a mental health crisis, with 45 dying from suicide.”
“Those numbers illustrate the continued need for a CRC within our parish,” Cooper said. “Though we are disappointed START Corporation will no longer operate the CRC, we will continue working with our partners to identify improvements to our behavioral health system and we look forward to a new beginning.”
During the time seeking the new operator for the CRC, Cooper said the rest of the Safe Haven Campus will remain open and operational.