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.
Prince William County is developing a new Crisis Receiving Center (CRC), which will provide much-needed mental health and substance abuse services to the community. Set to replace the former Gander Mountain store at 14040 Worth Avenue, the 79,000-square-foot facility is expected to serve as a state model for addressing mental health crises. Still, operational funding hurdles have emerged due to Medicaid restrictions.
The CRC will feature 16 32 beds—eight 16 for adults and eight 16 for children—for individuals needing urgent mental health care. Patients may arrive independently, be transferred from local hospitals, or be brought in by police. Once at the center, individuals will receive continuous monitoring and care for up to 23 hours a day, typically staying between three and five days as they stabilize and prepare for the next steps in their treatment journey.
However, challenges surrounding Medicaid funding are threatening its smooth operation. A longstanding federal policy dating back to 1965 classifies facilities with more than 16 beds that treat individuals with mental health or substance abuse diagnoses as Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD). This classification prevents Medicaid from reimbursing such facilities, presenting a significant financial obstacle for the county.
“We are planning to provide immediate and critical care to those in crisis, but the Medicaid policy hasn’t caught up to the real-world needs of today,” said Prince William County Community Services Executive Director Lisa Madron. “This facility isn’t a long-term care center, but a short-term crisis intervention facility, and yet we are being penalized by policies written nearly 60 years ago.”
The county is working with state officials to seek a waiver allowing the CRC to receive Medicaid funding. However, the application process is lengthy, and approval is expected to take six months or more. In the meantime, the county is exploring interim funding options to keep the CRC on track for its planned opening.
The facility, considered a model for other localities across Virginia, will serve as a critical resource for residents and emergency services. Police officers and healthcare providers now have a dedicated place to send individuals in crisis, reducing the strain on local hospitals and jails.
“This is the kind of facility that communities across the state are going to want to replicate,” said Prince William County Executive Chris Shorter. “We’ve designed it to meet the growing mental health needs of our residents, and we’re confident that once it’s up and running, others will follow our lead.”
The center’s construction is on schedule, but the uncertainty over Medicaid reimbursement remains a concern. The county estimates a potential shortfall of $8 million if the funding issue is unresolved. State lawmakers and the county’s congressional delegation are urged to expedite the waiver process and push for legislative changes to ensure the facility can operate fully.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin praised the Prince William County Crisis Receiving Center, which will house adults and children having mental breakdowns.
Youngkin joined other state and local leaders today, Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 11:45 for a ceremonial groundbreaking for the 79,000-square-foot center that will replace a Gander Mountain store at 14040 Worth Avenue. He called the plans for the center a model that localities in the rest of the state would copy and use.
