East Alabama Health expanding with new mental health facility

Elizabeth White
·2 min read

OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) – In a significant move towards expanding mental health care in our community, East Alabama Health has secured approval from the Certificate of Need (CON) Board in Montgomery to construct a new mental health facility. The facility is poised to offer comprehensive mental health services, encompassing both inpatient and outpatient care.

Scheduled for a groundbreaking ceremony on January 31, the facility signifies a crucial step forward in the region’s commitment to mental health care. Notably, this expansion also includes plans for a physician residency program in the near future, underscoring a holistic approach to mental health services. East Alabama Health will release additional details following the groundbreaking ceremony.

You are not alone:

Mental illness continues to rank second (only behind cardiovascular disorder) in burden of disease rankings. Mental Illness combined with substance abuse disorders is one of the leading causes of worker disability. But there is hope.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion, or behavior or any combination of these. Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work, or family activities. Mental illness is common. In any given year:

  • Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness

  • 1 in 24 (4.1%) has a serious mental illness

  • 7.9 million people living with mental illness also have a co-occurring substance issue

The good news is  mental illness is treatable. The vast majority of individuals with mental illness continue to function in their daily lives.

East Alabama Mental Health also offers community based programs centered on substance abuse prevention in Chambers, Lee, Russell, and Tallapoosa County. These programs aim to change community norms related to adolescent substance use as well as provide community based education on dangers and risks associated with drug use. Prevention services include community coalitions, youth advisory groups, juvenile court education programs, Mental Health First Aid trainings, school based education, and outreach programs.

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