The Town of Brantley, Crenshaw County and South Central Alabama Mental Health Center are set to welcome a new 21,000-square-foot Rural Crisis Center. Community leaders, healthcare advocates, and state officials will gather for a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 12 at 115 Victory Lane in Brantley at 2 p.m. 

Local officials and leaders are enthusiastic about the facility’s potential positive impact on the area. Rural Crisis Care is a priority for both Governor Ivey and the Alabama Department of Mental Health. The Brantley facility will be the seventh crisis center to be developed in the state and the first to be located in a rural area. 

Representatives of South Central Alabama Mental Health (SCAMH), which is headquartered in Andalusia, said in a media release that the $10.7 million Rural Crisis Center will address the urgent mental health and substance use needs for rural communities in Crenshaw County and the surrounding areas. Once completed, the Rural Crisis Center will operate 24/7 under a “no wrong door” policy, offering critical services that will make it easy for individuals to access immediate help, regardless of the time or day. 

This inclusive approach means that anyone in crisis will receive critical support and services without delay. Funding for construction of the facility is provided through a USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Loan that was awarded to SCAMH in June 2024 and operational funds will come through the Alabama Department of Mental Health. 

The Town of Brantley has been instrumental in putting this project on the ground with the provision of a 4-acre site and more than $3.1 million in infrastructure to support the facility. Funding for the infrastructure has been provided through the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Industrial Access Program, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program and the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, with matching funds provided by the Town of Brantley. The project was one of the first projects funded through the newly organized Southeast Crescent Regional Commission. 

Upon full operation, the SCAMH Rural Crisis Center is expected to employ approximately 65 persons with an annual payroll of more than $4.5 million. Construction on the SCAMH Rural Crisis Center is expected to begin before the end of 2024 and should be complete in early 2026.