Officials from the Pennsylvania departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Human Services toured and met with leadership and staff at Bucks County’s Bright Path Center, a first-of-its-kind facility in Pennsylvania that will begin offering emergency treatment this summer for Pennsylvanians looking for help during substance use and mental health crises.
“Bright Path Center demonstrates what state, county, and community partners can achieve when they work together to strengthen access to care and support people in need,” said Dave Herold, CEO of Lenape Valley Foundation and the Bright Path Center. “This center will help ensure Bucks County residents can receive compassionate, coordinated behavioral health services close to home, in an environment designed to promote dignity, healing, and recovery.”
The center is partially funded by DDAP’s portion of “Big Four” opioid settlement dollars that were a result of a multistate investigation of opioid manufacturers and distributors which led to settlement agreements for Pennsylvania worth billions of dollars.
The center will offer immediate access to drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services under one roof – allowing people to seek care to address both needs at once. The model and variety of services offered at Bright Path Center, such as 24-hour walk-in services for drug and alcohol assessments and onsite withdrawal management services – make it the first of its kind among crisis centers in Pennsylvania.
“We know that crisis stabilization services for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders are a lifeline. By expanding access to immediate, person-centered care, this center will strengthen the continuum of care for individuals and families in Bucks County,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones.
DDAP awarded the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission $7 million in grant funding – out of the agency’s share of opioid settlement funds – to invest in the construction of the Bright Path Center. PA DHS also contributed funding to the Bright Path Center via the federal Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and state county base mental health funding.
“We are deeply grateful for the financial support of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, as we welcome Bright Path Center to our Bucks County community,” said Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission Executive Director Diane Rosati. “Their funds represent not just an investment in the construction of Bucks County’s new crisis stabilization unit for residents with substance use and mental health issues, but will also result in respectful, welcoming, high quality, and immediate access to services. We look to Bright Path Center as a gamechanger in our community and we are enthusiastic about the summer opening.”
Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission is the Single County Authority (SCA) for drug and alcohol services in Bucks County, providing community assessment, capacity building, planning, implementation and evaluation to support drug and alcohol programming for the county.
Bright Path Center will officially start providing care this summer and expects to serve approximately 7,000 Bucks County residents annually.
The center is designed to welcome, assess, and stabilize those experiencing urgent challenges related to mental health or drug and alcohol use by offering immediate, compassionate care to de-escalate a critical situation while also determining the best treatment path forward.
Bright Path Center will offer a full continuum of behavioral healthcare including:
- 24-hour walk-in services for drug and alcohol assessments to determine what level of care best suits the individual’s needs;
- 24-hour telephone crisis intervention services;
- 23-hour crisis stabilization units using the Living Room Model – calm, home-like environments that provide alternatives to hospital-setting emergency departments;
- Withdrawal management services;
- Short-term residential treatment;
- Secure treatment spaces that deliver quality care in a safe environment to foster wellness; and,
- Separate areas for children and adults seeking care.
