The new Portage Crisis Center in Ravenna is moving into its final construction phase, wrapping up a roughly $7.7 million expansion at Coleman Health Services on Lovers Lane that is meant to keep people in crisis out of hospital emergency departments and jails. The project more than doubles the clinic's footprint, swaps shared rooms for single-occupancy rooms with private bathrooms, and adds both a 23-hour involuntary hold area and a unit tailored for children and families. Officials say the center will serve people experiencing suicidal thoughts, severe anxiety and other acute mental health emergencies, and it is expected to begin admitting patients this summer.
What's Being Added
As reported by News 5 Cleveland, the expansion carries an estimated $7.7 million price tag and includes both voluntary crisis-stabilization beds and a short-term involuntary hold area so staff can observe and treat people who do not require full hospitalization. Coleman Health Services President and CEO Hattie Tracy told the station the new layout will give staff room to “make sure they are safe ... and they'll be able to get them the care they need,” underscoring the facility’s role as a community alternative to emergency rooms.
Design And Capacity
The Mental Health & Recovery Board says the renovated crisis stabilization unit at 3920 Lovers Lane will feature single-bed rooms with private bathrooms where clients can stay for up to two weeks as a step-down from hospitalization. As outlined by Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, the project also adds a 23-hour involuntary hold area, family rooms for children and a first-responder drop-off area to speed transfers from police and EMS.
How It Is Paid For And When It Opens
According to Weekly Villager, the expansion is backed by a mix of state grants and local dollars, including OMHAS support and state operating funds secured with help from Rep. Gail Pavliga, along with contributions from the Portage County Mental Health & Recovery Board. Construction leaders and local officials told News 5 Cleveland they are putting the finishing touches on the facility, and the center is expected to formally open sometime this summer, though some earlier schedules listed a September 2026 completion window.
Why Local Leaders Say It Matters
The Portage County Health District’s 2024 Mental Health and Substance Abuse report shows emergency-department visits for self-harm, suicidal ideation or suicide attempts dropped from 967 in 2023 to 929 in 2024, roughly a 4% decline. Local public health data and the report prepared by the county epidemiologist are central to why leaders prioritized more crisis stabilization and short-term observation capacity in the community, the report details trends in overdoses, hospital visits and suicide deaths that officials say the expanded center is intended to address. Portage County Health District figures provide the baseline numbers that officials cited.
Next Steps And Resources
Coleman Health Services will operate and staff the new center, providing on-site psychiatric care and nursing support while coordinating with county partners, officials said. For immediate help, Coleman lists Portage County crisis access at 1-877-796-3555 and directs people to the national 988 lifeline. The agency also maintains 24/7 hotlines across the region. Local leaders acknowledge the center will not fix every gap in behavioral health care, but say more local beds and short-term observation space should give hospitals, first responders and families another option when someone is in crisis.
