Crisis Response Services See Significant Boost For Fredericksburg Area

SPOTSYLVANIA, VA — Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined state and local officials on Monday to dedicate the Fredericksburg Regional Crisis Receiving Center, delivering a significant boost to crisis response services in the region.

“When a loved one is in crisis, every minute counts,” Youngkin said. “This new Fredericksburg center brings help closer to home — combining compassionate, clinical care with rapid stabilization so families aren’t left waiting in crowded emergency departments.”

With the support of $12 million in funding from Right Help, Right Now, Youngkin's behavioral health transformation initiative, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board purchased the 79,420-square-foot site at 4701 Market St. in Spotsylvania.

Additional funding allowed RACSB to purchase the larger facility and expand the scope to include relocating the Sunshine Lady House adult Crisis Stabilization Unit and adding youth CRC and CSU services.

“For years, our region has worked toward creating a space where both adults and children experiencing mental health crises can get the right help at the right time,” said Joe Wickens, RACSB’s executive director. “With this facility, our community will have the space, services and partnerships needed to respond with the care and urgency these individuals deserve. It’s a transformative step for Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties.”

The center will expand same-day crisis care for adults and children, as well as 23-hour observation and children’s crisis service. The facility will also provide space for psychiatric assessment, stabilization, and coordinated connections to ongoing treatment for up to 38 Virginians.

“Fredericksburg is building a crisis system that meets people where they are—with dignity, speed, and the right level of care,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly. “By expanding 23-hour observation and standing up children’s services, this project closes critical gaps for families and creates a clear front door into recovery.”

Located near the new Veterans Affairs outpatient center and a standalone emergency department, operated by Mary Washington Healthcare, and between two major hospitals, the center will serve as a regional anchor for timely, therapeutic crisis care, according to a release. Renovations are expected to begin next spring, with services anticipated to begin in spring 2027.

“As someone who has called this community home for 18 years, I know how urgently families need timely, accessible behavioral health care,” said Sen. Tara Durant (R-27th). “The new center reflects what’s possible when state and local leaders work together to bring real solutions home.”