Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) on Friday announced the purchase of a Spotsylvania County facility to develop a Crisis Receiving Center (CRC).
The 79,420-square-foot building previously belonged to Rappahannock Goodwill Industries and will undergo renovations to transform it into a 24-hour crisis center that will provide a safe, calming space for individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies for assessment and stabilization.
“The ultimate goal is to avoid hospitalizations when possible and to allow people in crisis to receive care in our community,” Executive Director Joe Wickens said in a press release. “Unfortunately, folks are having to be hospitalized or sent out of our area, and it’s avoidable.”
The newly acquired building is strategically located near the newly opened Veterans Affairs outpatient center and a standalone emergency department operated by Mary Washington Healthcare and between two major hospitals.
Wickens estimates that renovations for the CRC will cost about $6.5 million and will be complete in time for services to start in spring 2027. The space provides room for RACSB to provide its current crisis services — assessment, immediate crisis intervention and residential stabilization — while also expanding to offer 23-hour observation and children’s crisis services.
“We sought this property because we recognized the need for a 24-hour walk-in behavioral healthcare clinic for people experiencing behavioral health crises, which doesn’t exist in our community,” Wickens said. “Buying this building represents RACSB’s long history of stepping in to fill gaps in our community.”
That need aligned with the goals of Virginia’s Right Help, Right Now initiative, which distributed money throughout the state to expand emergency services for behavioral health. The state awarded RACSB $12 million for this project, along with additional money for ongoing operational expenses.
“We didn’t merely purchase a building,” Wickens said. “This space will become a lifeline for individuals and families in our community and will provide a glimmer of hope in situations where that can be hard to find.”
