CLAYTON COUNTY, GA — Georgia officials announced plans for a new behavioral crisis center in Clayton County.

The $19 million facility is part of ongoing efforts to provide support for individuals experiencing mental health emergencies.

“This is a 24-bed crisis facility. It is also a behavioral health crisis center, so individuals can walk in 24 hours a day and receive crisis services at this center,” said Kevin Tanner, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Tanner added that this will be the third center currently in development in the metro Atlanta area, and it will serve patients from across the region.

The new center follows a study completed in 2023, which recommended the creation of eight additional crisis centers over the next decade, five of them in metro Atlanta.

Officials said the centers will help reduce overcrowding in hospitals and ease the burden on police agencies who frequently respond to mental health emergencies.