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Benton County Crisis Center

November 20, 2023 in BC Projects

Mental Health Crisis Services are available now! 

If there is an emergency, please call 911 or go to your local Emergency Room (ER).

24 Hour Crisis Line

In crisis now? Call the Benton County Crisis Line at 1-888-232-7192

Crisis Text Line logo

Text OREGON to 741741 for 24/7, confidential free crisis counseling.

Crisis Text Line® is a registered trademark of Crisis Text Line, Inc.

If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat live at 988lifeline.org

Envisioning the Benton County Crisis Center

An architectural drawing of a cream and gray colored building surrounded by greenery and people milling about.
A concept drawing of what the exterior main entry of the future crisis center could look like.

Benton County Behavioral Health is working to create a voluntary walk-in treatment-centered facility that may serve as an alternative to the emergency room, which provides stabilization for individuals experiencing mental health crisis, along with referrals and support for ongoing behavioral health services.

The crisis center will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and serve all ages, regardless of ability to pay, no appointment needed. It is designed to serve anyone who needs a break from stressors to be connected to services and support and will have a “no-wrong-door” approach to support individuals who are having mental health crises for any number of reasons. 

People sitting in a wood-paneled room with a reception desk and plants.
A concept drawing of what the waiting room might look like at the future crisis center.

The Benton County Crisis Center will be located at 240 NW 4th Street in downtown Corvallis, central to transportation, community service providers, and emergency services.

Two people sit across the table from one another in a room with a large window and artwork on the wall.
A concept drawing of a potential intake room at the future crisis center.

Services may include:

  • Crisis assessments
  • Safe and supportive break from stressors for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
  • Short-term therapy
  • Skills training and case management
  • Referrals for ongoing treatment and community resources

Latest Crisis Center News

Project Timeline

The Benton County Crisis Center is expected to open for services in the spring of 2025.

Crisis Center Project Timeline
More details
  • The project began in April 2022 when a site was selected.
  • In May 2022, Gerding Builders was selected as the General Contractor, and Benton County formed a Design Committee of community stakeholders of the future crisis center.
  • Demolition on the site was completed in October 2022, and schematic drawings in November 2022.
  • Design and construction sets were completed in early 2023.
  • Permitting began in April 2023 and ground was broken in early spring.

Design Planning

A virtual meeting screen share containing images of various plants and a geographical map of the Willamette River and its tributaries.
The Design Committee considers types of native plants to use for the building’s exterior.
A screen share from a virtual meeting shows different types of masonry, wood, fiber cement, and plantings.
The Design Committee considers materials for the exterior of the building.
A screencap of a virtual meeting with screen sharing of architectural drawings and a group chat about accessibility.
The Design Committee discusses accommodations for people living with disabilities.
A virtual meeting screen share of nature related images representing the words "welcoming," "texture," "biophilic," and "of place."
The Design Committee discusses the values they want the crisis center to exhibit.
A screencap of a virtual meeting featuring various professionals talking, smiling, and listening.
The Design Committee meets to discuss the look and feel of the future Benton County Crisis Center.

Benton County Behavioral Health formed a design committee to help inform the design process by providing a crystal clear understanding of the unique needs of Benton County residents and what can be accomplished with the new crisis center.

Design Planning Committee Members
  • Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center
  • Intercommunity Health Network Coordinated Care Organization
  • Pathfinder Clubhouse
  • Corvallis Daytime Drop-In Center
  • Strengthening Rural Families
  • Oregon State University Counseling & Psychological Service
  • Benton County Sheriff’s Office
  • Corvallis Police Department
  • Mahlum Architects
  • Gerding Builders
Design planning process

In the design planning process, the architect team presented concepts to the design committee members who ask questions, provide insight, and help refine the vision for the final design. The committee participated in journey-mapping exercises that put them in the shoes of someone seeking crisis services to guide the process and flow of services once the center is up and running.

Another activity, called visual listening, gave the committee an opportunity to authentically react to different designs, in order to help define the look and feel of the building.

Staffing, Processes, and Workflows

A group of people gather and collaborate in an office space filled with cubicles.
The Benton County Crisis Center team tours an existing crisis center in Oregon to learn best practices.

While the building is under construction, Benton County is planning for operations at the crisis center.

Learn more

Behavioral Health leaders and staff are working to create processes and policies for operations at the new facility in order to ensure safe, efficient, and trauma-informed services. They are also working on fine tuning their staffing model to sustain operational capacity.

Examples from other Communities

Stabilization recliners at the Deschutes County Stabilization Center
A waiting room lobby at the Deschutes County Stabilization Center
An intake room at the Deschutes County Stabilization Center.

The following facilities are designed with similar intent to what the Benton County Crisis Center hopes to offer. While not exact representations, these programs have served as guides in design planning:

Learn more

Benton County Behavioral Health leaders, along with representatives from Gerding Builders and Mahlum Architects, traveled across the state to tour existing crisis centers. The team met with leaders and staff involved with those enters to discuss challenges and opportunities in order to plan effectively for the Benton County Crisis Center.

View a one-page fact sheet about the Benton County Crisis Center
Crisis Center Fact SheetDownload

Questions/comments? 

healthdeptcommunications@bentoncountyor.gov

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