For people experiencing behavioral health crises in Knox County, the nearest walk-in center offering specialized care is more than 45 miles away in Peoria — putting immediate help out of reach for most people.
Bridgeway is moving to bring that care home with the purchase of 95 N. Seminary St. in Galesburg.
While the project is still in the planning phase, the vision for the downtown location is to provide a safe, welcoming, and voluntary place to receive immediate mental health support.
“We are thrilled to be one step closer to making this a reality,” said Bridgeway CEO Staci Danner in a release announcing the purchase of the property.
Clay Cunningham, Vice President for Behavioral Health at Bridgeway, said more than 61 million adults live with a mental illness.
Cunningham also noted that 1 in 8 emergency room visits are for mental health or substance use conditions — even though ERs are not designed or staffed to provide specialized behavioral healthcare.
“Illinois’ walk-in crisis care model, the same approach behind Bridgeway’s new facility, is designed to safely redirect people away from the ER and jail, giving them immediate, qualified help in a calm, home-like setting where they can de-escalate and be evaluated for the right next step,” Cunningham said.
Bridgeway said that kind of care exists in other parts of the state. It said the new facility will fill that need in Knox County, strengthening the organization’s work as a Certified Community Behavioral Clinic and the crisis services it already provides.
The 95 N. Seminary St. property most recently was the home of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.
Bridgeway purchased the property for $450,000.
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