The DuPage County Crisis Recovery Center is a first-of-its-kind facility offering help for people experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises in the suburbs.

The center provides services for both youth and adults. County officials say the center should reduce unnecessary visits to hospital emergency departments, and reduce interactions with law enforcement that both strain public resources and are often not suited to address behavioral health crises.

Instead of going to the hospital or police, family members, individuals and first responders will be able to bring patients directly to the crisis center for support and resources. The center is staffed by trained mental health and substance use professionals.

Once immediate treatment is complete, the center will help patients connect to community resources for continued support.

The center will be able to hold up to 42 people at a time, and officials estimate it can help about 15,000 people each year. The staff of 160 includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, case managers and people who have experienced mental health issues or substance use disorder.

Their services will include a youth mental health unit for patients aged 5 to 17 with family-centered services, an adult mental health unit and an adult substance use stabilization unit with 24-hour sobering care and support and medical withdrawal management.

The center will open its physical doors in Wheaton to patients the week of Sept. 2. To get immediate help before it's open call 630-627-1700. 

If you or someone you know is in need of support, call the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 to speak with someone over the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.