One-Of-A-Kind Charlotte Facility Could Tackle ‘Staggering’ NC Mental Health Crisis

(The Charlotte Observer, Mary Ramsey) — Officially, Michael Estramonte is the founder of the Katie Blessing Center for youth behavioral health. But his sons get credit, too. After leading his StarMed Healthcare business through the COVID-19 pandemic, Estramonte looked for another “tough to tackle challenge.”

Mental health, an issue “definitely exacerbated” by the pandemic, seemed like a perfect fit. Gearing the project toward kids and teens was inspired by watching friends struggle to find care for their children. That led to hearing from local doctors about kids having to wait days, weeks or even months for a psychiatric bed, sometimes ending up out of state. “We said to ourselves, what can we do to help?,” he told The Charlotte Observer. That’s when Estramonte’s teenagers, Evan and A.J., stepped in. “They said, ‘Dad, you’re doing all this planning and whatnot, why aren’t you talking to us more?’” he recalled. Bouncing ideas off his kids evolved into putting together a student advisory council that would come to include more than 30 people. The final result will be North Carolina’s “largest and most advanced” pediatric mental health care facility, set to open in two phases in 2026 and 2027 in east Charlotte. It’s one of multiple projects aimed at filling gaps in the region’s mental health care system. Experts and advocates say they’re critical to improving a system vital to the community’s overall well-being. “These different types of services coming in are reflective of the need that’s in our community,” said Cotrane Penn, a division director in Mecklenburg County’s Child, Family, and Adult Services department.

‘Staggering’ problem for Charlotte-area families

Estramonte found statistics ranking North Carolina near the bottom of all states for access to mental health care “staggering.”

As he talked to more experts about what could be done, a common theme arose: a fragmented health care system makes it hard for families to navigate through emergency, inpatient and outpatient care for their children. Solving the problem meant creating a $62 million facility that put as much as possible under one roof — from urgent care to inpatient beds and outpatient treatment options. It was also important, Estramonte said, to have space for young people from Charlotte and across the state. Phase one is set to open in 2026 in a refurbished building across from the former Eastland Mall on Central Avenue in east Charlotte. It will include a behavioral health urgent care, 48 inpatient beds, telehealth facilities, indoor recreation areas and an outdoor courtyard. A three-story addition slated to open in 2027 will add up to 24 additional beds, an indoor gym and more therapy space. “There’s over 150 kids waiting in (emergency departments) throughout North Carolina’s hospital systems right now. So with 72 beds, we’re gonna put a significant dent in that,” Estramonte said. The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have both of which invested millions. So has Novant Health, which is contributing $2.5 million and will help run the facility’s urgent care.

The center can revolutionize youth mental health care in the region, Dr. Uma Suryadevara, clinical physician executive for Novant Health’s Charlotte psychiatry institute, believes. “They could be our one-stop shop,” she said. Evie Thompson, 17, is most proud of the details she and her fellow students advisors helped incorporate. The high school junior — who is diagnosed with autism, ADHD and anxiety — connected with the advisory council through a school counselor who knew about her outspoken passion for mental health. “The mission of it really spoke to me,” she said. She and her fellow students helped design spaces that more closely resemble a college dorm than a hospital, where “kids can decorate and really show their personality.” They also incorporated a store-like area where patients arriving for a stay will be able to pick out a new outfit rather than wearing scrubs or hospital gowns. “A lot of the work that we’ve done is just ensuring that these kids feel like they’re human and not like a number,” Thompson said.

New kind of urgent care

As work continues on the Katie Blessing Center, another new resource in east Charlotte is already up and running.

Nestled around the corner from Bojangles Coliseum, the Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent Care is a partnership between the Steve Smith Family Foundation and Daymark Recovery Services. In most ways, it looks like any other urgent care. But rather than treating sprained ankles and sore throats, its staff of medical professionals are available 24 hours a day to help people with a mental illness or substance use disorder. It’s averaged about 300 patients a month since opening two years ago, Daymark chief program office Michelle Ivey said. People can stay for up to 23 hours, and they don’t need health insurance to get care. Sometimes, patients are experiencing a mental health crisis. Other times, they’re brought in by a family member or law enforcement. Someone else may arrive in need of support maintaining their sobriety or needing to cool off from a conflict at home. “It gives people a place to go,” Ivey, a 30-year veteran of the social work field, said. When folks arrive, they’re assessed by staff and get a physical health screening. From there, staff determine what services the person needs. That process, Ivey said, can be as straightforward arranging a prescription refill or as complex as setting up inpatient treatment.

The goal is to help people overcome the often “complicated process” of finding appropriate mental health care in a system fragmented and expensive to access. Like Estramonte, Ivey hopes the urgent care can be part of a broader solution to the challenges facing the Charlotte area’s mental health care system. “There are a lot of resources here in Mecklenburg County. The problem is there’s often a delay in getting into those resources,” she said. “And so if we can help bridge that gap and those delays, that is very important.”

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help, the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.