Globally recognized organization to offer services this fall.
[This is a joint press release with Alliance Health.]
Wake County and Alliance Health are excited to announce a new partnership with RI International to assume operations of three of the four primary crisis services offered at the WakeBrook Behavioral Health Facility in Raleigh.
RI will transition into the facility later this fall as UNC Health prepares to end all services offered at the location on Saturday, Sept. 30.
“This new partnership with RI highlights Wake County’s commitment to meeting the need for behavioral health and substance use treatment programs in our community with high quality, reliable care options,” said Wake County Commissioner Cheryl Stallings. “We’re grateful to our partner, Alliance Health, for helping us identify this trusted provider, which will ensure that those experiencing a crisis or in need of WakeBrook’s services can get the level of care that they deserve.”
RI is a nationally recognized leader in delivering behavioral health services. Established in 1990, the organization has a proven record of providing trauma-informed and person-centered crisis services and operates similar programs across the country. They have a local and national leadership team with significant experience diverting people experiencing behavioral health crisis from emergency department settings.
The organization has a proven record of working collaboratively with law enforcement and other first responders to enhance consumer experience. They are a pioneer of the “living room model of crisis care” a best practice recommendation that creates a safe and trauma-informed environment for individuals in crisis.
Once the contract is finalized, RI will assume operations of:
- Crisis and assessment services
- Alcohol and drug detoxification unit
- Facility-based crisis services
The priority for all parties will be to set up the crisis and assessment services first, followed by the alcohol and drug detox unit and crisis services later this year. Wake County expects all three to be up and running by early 2024.
“We have full confidence in RI as a high-quality, experienced provider,” said Alliance CEO Rob Robinson. “Alliance Health has an ongoing commitment to building and maintaining a robust crisis continuum in Wake County and across our region.”
While the County had hoped to avoid any gaps in service at WakeBrook, there will be a period where the facility must close to transition from UNC Health to RI. The goal is to keep this timeframe as short as possible and get all staffing and programs operating under RI quickly. More updates will follow regarding a reopening date.
Next Steps
Now that RI has been selected to operate crisis and assessment, facility-based crisis, and non-hospital detoxification services offered at WakeBrook, Wake County and Alliance Health will continue their focus to reinstating the inpatient psychiatric unit for adults 18 and older that will end by September 30.
Alliance will evaluate options for inpatient care to meet the unique needs of Wake County’s most vulnerable residents.
Wake County and Alliance are using the newly published Wake Crisis Assessment Report to help guide decisions and work with partners to improve the crisis continuum in our community.
About WakeBrook
WakeBrook is a behavioral health facility located in Raleigh that offers a continuum of services for people dealing with mental health and/or substance use disorders.
Since 2012, UNC Health has provided behavioral health services at the WakeBrook facility, which Wake County owns. In July 2023, Wake County and Alliance Health announced that there would be a new service provider at the facility after the County was not able to reach an agreement with UNC Health to provide ongoing services beyond Fiscal Year 2024. UNC Health plans to end all operations at WakeBrook on Sept. 30.
For more information and updates related to WakeBrook, visit wake.gov/WakeBrook.
