PHENIX CITY, Ala. - Integrea, the nonprofit mental health provider for four East Alabama counties, is moving toward construction of a 12-bed inpatient facility on 25th Avenue in Phenix City, the first of its kind in Russell County. The $4.5 million project includes $1.75 million from the State of Alabama, and the organization says it expects to put the work out to bid within 60 days of its early-October announcement, which points to early December. If the schedule holds, the unit would open in late 2027, according to WTVM and WRBL.

For Phenix City and Russell County families, the project matters because people who need inpatient psychiatric stabilization currently go to Opelika. Integrea says the new building should ease the pressure on that facility and give patients in the area more choices closer to home. The planned location is in Phenix City, which is the Russell County seat.

What Integrea has announced

Integrea announced the project on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, according to WRBL, and WTVM published its report on Oct. 7. The facility will be in a vacant building on 25th Avenue off U.S. 280 that will be renovated to provide inpatient care, WRBL reported. WTVM reported that Integrea acquired the building about two months before the announcement.

The 12-bed facility will offer crisis stabilization services, WTVM reported, and Integrea also plans expanded outpatient therapy, medication management and substance use treatment. It will be Integrea's second facility to offer inpatient services. The organization has worked in East Alabama on mental health treatment for more than 60 years and operates centers in Tallapoosa, Chambers, Russell and Lee counties, according to WTVM.

Why the Opelika comparison matters

Residents of Russell, Lee, Chambers and Tallapoosa counties currently all use a 16-bed facility in Opelika, according to WTVM. An Integrea representative told the station, "It's going to alleviate some of that pressure on those fairly limited resources we have to do this in Opelika." A 12-bed unit in Phenix City would add inpatient capacity in the part of the region closest to Columbus.

Phenix City sits across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia, so readers on both sides of the river may wonder who the unit will serve. The sources reviewed describe the new unit as serving Alabama patients, and they do not say whether it will accept patients from the Georgia side of the river or how admissions will work. Those details are not yet public.

The people behind the funding

State Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Phenix City, helped secure the state money, WRBL reported. He said, "Mental illness and mental health is one thing that really for a long time people don't want to talk about." Integrea's chief executive, Jimmie Dickie, said the facility will give the community more options and called it "a huge step in filling the critical gaps that exist in this community."

Dickie also said "far too many people who suffer in silence because they don't know that they have options," according to WRBL. WTVM cited the National Alliance on Mental Illness in noting that one in five Alabama adults experiences mental illness each year. WRBL reported that the state will allow Integrea to use part of its funding for construction.

What to watch next

Integrea told WTVM it planned to put the project out to bid within the 60 days after the Oct. 7 report, which puts a bid call around early December. WRBL reported that construction was expected to begin before the end of 2026. Construction is expected to take about 12 months, and Integrea is targeting a late-2027 opening.

The sources reviewed do not report the name of a contractor, an exact address on 25th Avenue, staffing numbers or whether the facility will accept patients with private insurance, Medicaid or both. None of those details had been announced when the reports were published. Readers who want to follow the project can watch for the bid notice and for announcements from Integrea.

If you or someone you know needs help now

The planned unit is more than a year from opening, and it is not an emergency resource today. Anyone in crisis can call or text 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is available around the clock, and in an emergency should call 911. Integrea already operates centers in Russell and Lee counties, according to WTVM, and people can contact the organization for information on current services.