St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester will soon be home to a new Behavioral Health Access & Crisis Center, providing urgent care and counseling services for mental illness and drug addiction.

“If someone is severely depressed, they are very anxious, they’ve had a recent life change that they can’t get their arms around and they feel like they need to be seen, those are the things that we want people to come to us for,” said Jill Graziano, vice president of Rochester Regional Behavioral Health. 

“It’s a great idea to have something right here in this neighborhood,” said Rochester resident Johnnie Johnson.     

What makes the crisis center special is that a patient can come in without an appointment, get evaluated and be seen by a professional in the same day. 

Rochester General Hospital also will employ a mobile unit as a part of the program to go out and pick up people who have substance abuse and mental issues. 

Some 92 inpatient rehab beds will be available through RGH in Clifton Springs, Unity Hospital, and United Memorial. 

“It’s a new and different way to access services. Rather than call and make an appointment, you come in and we will make appointments for you for follow up care," Graziano said.

The behavioral health and crisis center will officially open Tuesday from 8am -midnight. Plans are in the works to have the center open 24/7.