A $2.75 million expansion in the plans for Volunteer Behavioral Health in Cookeville combined with renovations to better serve the community.
Campus Director Shane Farris said there is a tremendous need for additional services for those needing help with their mental health and substance use issues. Farris said the expansion will help patients receive high quality care and a nice facility to provide those services in.
“The big expansion is going to be opening up initially 16 residential treatment beds for women,” Farris said. “And then an additional 16 beds for men at a later date.”
Farris said the current renovations will address and update some of the services the center already provides. Farris said rooms for the withdrawal management program will be updated.
Farris said there will be 25 beds available for medical detox. He said those beds are currently available, but updates to those rooms will help improve the services the center can provide those patients. Another update is coming to the 16 beds for crisis stabilization, where patients can receive 24/7 care.
“It’s just going to give us a top notch facility to continue to provide services,” Farris said. “We’ve been providing services in this area since 1970.”
Farris said he hopes the next phase of the project is complete by February 1, which is the estimated completion date from the contractor. He said phase one, which includes a day center for the 24 hour urgent care patients, has already been finished.
“It’s going to be a place where they can gather and have their meals together,” Farris said. “As well as an area for healing, as we’re able to do groups and things in that area.”
Farris said phase two includes the updates to rooms in the withdrawal management program, the medical detox rooms, and the 16 new residential treatment beds.
Farris said he is proud that Volunteer Behavioral Health is able to provide their inpatient and outpatient services to the community. In addition, he is thankful for support from the State Department for Mental Health and Substance Use Services, along with generosity from other partner agencies.
