County residents will soon have access to improved behavioral health care, and officials recently got to tour the site of the future hospital that will offer around-the-clock care.

Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz and Josh Maxwell, along with county administrators, recently toured the site of Haven Behavioral Hospital of West Chester, an inpatient hospital and outpatient center that, when opened, will provide behavioral health care for county residents around the clock.

Haven Behavioral Hospital of West Chester CEO Jeff Hunt gave the Commissioners a preview of the facility, located opposite the Chester County Hospital, on Marshall Street in West Chester.  The new facility will offer full behavioral health services for adults through a 72-bed hospital that will provide 24/7 in-patient care and a walk-in clinic that will be open for direct assessment and care.  

Moskowitz said, “The closure of Brandywine Hospital included the closure of the county’s only dedicated behavioral health center, so we knew that we needed to move quickly to find another way to provide crucial health services for those with mental health needs.

“We appreciate the willingness by Haven Behavioral Healthcare to add this new location to their network, and we thank partners like Chester County Hospital, and the building owners Turks Head Health Services and John Ciccarone in working with Haven to make this happen.”  

Staff from Chester County’s Department of Human Services helped to facilitate Haven Behavioral Healthcare’s presence in Chester County, and the County Commissioners awarded a $2 million-plus grant to support the $20 million overall renovation of the facility.  

“We are certainly grateful for the funding that was granted by the Commissioners, but we also value the time and guidance provided by the County’s Human Services team as we secured and developed this new facility,” said Hunt.  

Haven Behavioral Healthcare manages a network of seven licensed inpatient behavioral health hospitals and several outpatient facilities across the nation. When the new facility opens in West Chester, the organization will operate three in-patient hospitals in Pennsylvania, as well as the West Chester outpatient clinic for adults, and an outpatient care center for people of all ages in Berks County.  

Maxwell said, “Haven Behavioral Healthcare is a national organization respected for the quality of care they provide, and the commitment to the communities in which they serve. CEO Jeff Hunt knows our community and is working hard to not only provide compassionate care for those who need the inpatient and outpatient services, but also to become established as a good employer in Chester County.”

Chester County’s $2 million investment in the Haven Behavioral Hospital of West Chester adds to the significant amount of funding allocated by the County Commissioners to address the mental health needs of residents.  More than $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are helping Chester County establish a new comprehensive mental health system, creating a behavioral health contact center and mobile crisis resolution teams.   

“The behavioral health contact center will give residents 24/7 access to mental health services via phone, text, or chat, and the mobile crisis resolution teams will work closely with law enforcement, first responders, schools and other organizations to support people in crisis, by meeting them where they are, and getting them care they need,” said Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline. “Services like these will help to decrease the number of times that law enforcement has to respond to a mental health crisis, or when people who are experiencing a mental health crisis appear in our emergency rooms.  This, combined with the new Haven Behavioral Hospital services and the many other behavioral health programs, trainings and services provided throughout the county will be transformational in supporting the overall wellness of those who live in Chester County.” 

Haven Behavioral Hospital of West Chester is expected to open inpatient and outpatient facilities by the first quarter of 2024.