Highlands Center Cuts Ribbon On New Building

ABINGDON, Va. – It’s an imposing building on a hill above Russell Road: the new Highlands Center for Behavioral Health, which is the community services board serving Washington County and the city of Bristol, Va.

The ribbon was cut Tuesday on the $9.2 million project that will allow many of the board’s mental health, substance abuse and intellectual disability services to be moved into a one-stop shop for easier patient access.

Virginia first lady Anne Holton was on hand for the formal ribbon cutting; she said the center, built with federal loans, represents a local commitment to providing these services. She applauded those efforts and pledged to help protect and support the continuation of the services offered – even as agencies around the state await budget cut recommendations from Gov. Tim Kaine.

“He and I are clear and have been all along on the importance of maintaining the safety net,” Holton said. “The work you do here is a crucial part of the safety net.”

She recalled a story from her time as a juvenile and domestic relations court judge: a mother who loved her child desperately had recurring need for mental health treatment.

Holton said it was possible, with different agencies working together, to work things out so mother and child were only apart for the brief periods necessary for treatment – and the treatment the mother received enabled the family to stay together.

“It wasn’t just the mother and the little girl who benefited, but the entire community benefited from strengthening that family,” Holton said.

Jeff Fox, executive director of the Highlands Community Services Board, said the 42,000-square-foot building, which will bring different departments together, is “a culmination of a dream and vision of a lot of people.”

A second building is under construction behind this one, a 10,000-square-foot, $1.8 million facility to specialize in services for people with intellectual disabilities.

“You can judge a society by the way it takes care of those who are perhaps the most vulnerable,” state Sen. William Wampler said at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting for the main building.

Wampler said construction of this facility “speaks volumes” about Virginia.

Rebecca Holmes, the center’s director of mental health and substance abuse outpatient services, said the building will be full by the weekend – and the doors will soon be open for anyone in need of services.

“We don’t decline services for anyone,” Holmes said. “If they have a level of need, we have a door open.”

She said Medicaid and some private health insurance policies cover services; a sliding fee scale is used for other patients. Services are provided to help people deal with “the minor issues to the very traumatic.”

Holmes said while there remains a stigma around mental health services, that is changing – and a large, centrally located facility might be part of the change.

“Depression, mental health and substance abuse issues take a greater toll on the work force than health issues do,” she said.

Marsha Miller, spokeswoman for the organization, said the need is massive in this community – and an increasing cost of living isn’t helping.

“People have to work harder to pay bills, and greater stress means people start to unravel,” Miller said, “It’s not the sole cause, but it has been so stressful.”

She said having the services available to help families emotionally through times of crisis strengthens entire communities.

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