Dallas City News

The nonprofit Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania is considering two alternate available Wilkes-Barre sites for a new mental health crisis and stabilization center, according to a Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board agenda.

One possible location is a commercial building at 240 S. Main St. that previously housed an appliance store and other businesses. The other is The Citizens’ Voice building at 75 N. Washington St.

Established in 1895, the Family Service Association provides a range of counseling and support and intervention services and was awarded $4.035 million in Managed Care Reinvestment Funds to create a crisis center in Wilkes-Barre.

The nonprofit planned to operate the center in its property at 31 W. Market St., which is located in the block between River and North Franklin streets, officials have said.

While that site may still end up as the crisis center location, the nonprofit has been exploring other available buildings in the city’s downtown with layouts that could be more feasible and reduce costs, officials said.

Walk-in crisis centers provide continuous observation and supervision when in-patient services are not required for those in distress.

Luzerne County Mental Health/Developmental Services advanced the creation of two crisis centers in the county. The second site in Hazleton will be operated by the nonprofit Northeast Counseling Services in its property at 750 E. Broad St. near the Lehigh Valley Hospital. The county agency is funding the Hazleton center with an $800,000 federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation approved by county council.

The Managed Care Reinvestment Funds covering the Wilkes-Barre center were awarded through the nonprofit Northeast Behavioral Health Care Consortium, which manages multi-county mental health and drug treatment funding for low-income residents on medical assistance and applies savings to new in-demand services.

Wilkes-Barre’s Zoning Hearing Board is involved because special exceptions would be required for both alternate sites, according to the board’s Aug. 21 meeting agenda.

The 240 S. Main St. property, located in a “commercial 2” zone, would need an exception to establish a state-licensed community based behavioral health stabilization facility because that use is not addressed within the ordinance, the agenda said.

Located in a “commercial 1” zone, the 75 N. Washington St. property, would need a special exception for the same reason, it said. A variance also would be necessary to waive a requirement of 17 parking spaces for the proposed use, it said. Property records show the parcel does not include a parking lot.

County Mental Health/Developmental Services Administrator Tara Fox has said the centers were pursued as part of Pennsylvania’s movement toward a new model of addressing mental health crises through walk-in and mobile services instead of hospital emergency rooms.

“Maybe we can avoid in-patient stays and deescalate and better connect those in distress — and their families — with resources in their communities,” Fox said earlier this year.

The Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board’s Aug. 21 meeting starts at 4:30 p.m. in the city hall council chambers.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.