FINDING HOPE
Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center more than a new building
About 300 people turned out for the opening of the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center.
Officials cut the ribbon on the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center.
CONCORD — Cabarrus County leaders, healthcare providers and community members celebrated the opening of the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center on Tuesday, calling the new facility a long-awaited investment in expanding access to mental healthcare.
Nearly 300 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the center, a partnership between Cabarrus County and Monarch Healthcare that officials say will provide a full continuum of behavioral health services under one roof when it opens later this year.
The nearly 60,000-square-foot facility was funded with a $32.5 million investment from the state, along with an additional $2.5 million from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to help cover project costs.
Speakers described the center as more than a new building, saying it reflects years of planning and a communitywide commitment to addressing growing behavioral health needs.
"Years from now, people may not remember this ceremony," Cabarrus County Behavioral Health Director Dr. Kamilah McKissick said. "But they will remember how they felt when they walked through those doors. They will remember that they found hope."
The project is the culmination of work that began in 2016, when the Cabarrus County Mental Health Advisory Board began identifying gaps in local behavioral health services. Those efforts led to initiatives including Mental Health First Aid training, expanded schoolbased mental health programs, the Stepping Up and No Wrong Door initiatives, and the creation of the county's Behavioral Health Department.
Cabarrus County Commissioner Kenny Wortman shared his family's experience navigating a behavioral health crisis, recalling the uncertainty of seeking care for his child in an emergency department.
"Everybody here has needed help," Wortman said. "This is our way to help. We're here to give you a hand up, not a handout."
The facility is named for Concord Mayor Steve Morris, who acknowledged the many partners who helped bring the project to completion. Morris is a former county commissioner and helped get the facility built by the county.
"My name is on the building, but their fingerprints are everywhere inside it," Morris said.
He said the center represents a promise that residents experiencing mental health crises will have access to compassionate care close to home.
"More than brick and mortar, more than square footage, more than any grant or budget line, this building represents a decision our community made," Morris said.
"A decision that when someone we love is suffering, we will not turn them away, ship them off or let them fall through the cracks."
The center will house a Behavioral Health Urgent Care, a facility-based crisis unit and a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Residential Treatment program. Officials said the facility is expected to reduce barriers to care, improve response times and provide an alternative to emergency departments for many people experiencing behavioral health crises.
Monarch CEO Peggy Terhune said patients will be treated with compassion and dignity.
"They're going to be treated as though they are sick, not as though they are bad," Terhune said. "They're going to be treated as though they are people of worth and value."
Cox Mill High School student Mahira Jhingran, co-founder of the Teen Minds Matter initiative, said the center will help young people who often struggle to find mental health resources.
"Teenagers across Cabarrus County will no longer have to feel unseen," she said.
The project comes as demand for behavioral health services continues to grow. According to the county, emergency department visits related to anxiety and depression increased by approximately 13% between 2023 and 2024, and the county's most recent community needs assessment identified behavioral health care as a top priority.
Following the ribbon cutting, attendees toured the facility and met staff who will provide services when the center begins serving patients later this year.
