Prince William County is poised to address the community’s mental health needs with the projected 2025 opening of its first Crisis Receiving Center (CRC), which will be located in the old Gander Mountain Store on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge.
Announced during the October 15 Board of County Supervisors meeting, the CRC will offer immediate, short-term care for individuals in mental health crises, following the Crisis Now model designed to reduce unnecessary psychiatric hospitalizations and keep law enforcement focused on public safety.
The plan is to have the facility staffed 24/7 by mental health professionals; the CRC will provide urgent care, 23-hour observation beds, and crisis stabilization services for adults and youth. The center is expected to serve as a central hub for addressing mental health emergencies. It will ensure that individuals are connected to ongoing community support services after resolving their immediate crisis.
Georgia Bachmann, Acting Executive Director of Prince William Community Services Board, highlighted the center’s broader impact, stating, “The CRC will help keep more police officers on the streets by diverting mental health cases away from law enforcement. It will also provide a continuum of care for those in need, supporting recovery and stabilization.”
Slated to be the first of its kind in Virginia, the CRC represents a major investment in the region’s mental health infrastructure. It hopes to provide relief to individuals and families struggling with mental health crises. Once operational, the center will alleviate the pressure on hospital emergency departments, which are often not equipped to handle psychiatric emergencies, by offering specialized care in a compassionate environment.
However, the road to the center’s 2025 opening has not been without challenges. Potomac Local News reported in September 2024 that the county is grappling with operational funding hurdles due to Medicaid restrictions. The 79,000-square-foot facility will feature 32 beds—16 for adults and 16 for children—dedicated to urgent mental health care.
The longstanding federal classification of facilities with more than 16 beds that treat mental health or substance abuse patients as Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) complicates the CRC’s ability to receive Medicaid reimbursement, a critical source of funding. This IMD exclusion, part of a policy dating back to 1965, has created an estimated $8 million funding shortfall.
In response, county officials are working closely with state lawmakers and the congressional delegation to seek a waiver from the federal government that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the CRC. While the waiver process could take six months or more, the county is exploring interim funding options to ensure the center remains on track for its 2025 opening.
