One Year of the Crisis Wellness Center: Memphis Is Changing Behavioral Health Crisis Response
- Alliance Healthcare Services
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
One year ago today, Alliance Healthcare Services opened the Crisis Wellness Center on Broad Avenue, and Memphis' approach to behavioral health crises hasn't been the same since.
Before opening, someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis in Shelby County might have faced two options: the emergency room or jail. Neither was designed for what they were going through. The Crisis Wellness Center was built to change that, a $34 million facility dedicated entirely to meeting people at their greatest point of need.
Here's what the first year has looked like, what's coming next, and how to get help if you or someone you care about needs it.
A Facility Built for Care, Not Custody
The Crisis Wellness Center is a standalone, purpose-built facility at 3200 Broad Avenue designed from the ground up for crisis care. Inside, you'll find a mix of 45 crisis stabilization beds, medically monitored detox beds (the only program of its kind in Shelby County for uninsured adults), and an on-site pharmacy.
The Crisis Assessment Center provides 23-hour observation and evaluation — giving clinical teams time to understand what each person needs before making a care decision.
The design itself matters. Calming colors, natural light, and open common areas replace the sterile feel of a traditional emergency department. Every choice was made to help people feel safe, not scared.
The center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — staffed around the clock by licensed professionals who specialize in crisis stabilization, substance use treatment, and connecting people to ongoing care.
What One Year of Impact Looks Like
Not only does the CWC serve our community through divert more than 400 people from jail every month, steering them toward treatment rather than incarceration.
Our partnership with the Memphis and Shelby County Fire Departments allows EMTs to bring eligible individuals directly to the Crisis Wellness Center instead of hospital emergency rooms.
This means faster access to specialized care and less strain on already overburdened emergency departments.
But beyond the numbers, the Crisis Wellness Center has become a hub for partnerships that are making Memphis' crisis response system stronger.
What's Coming Next
The momentum from year one is building into something bigger. We are adding a facility for children that will mirror many of the services we offer for adults.
Children and Youth Wellness Center. Construction is nearly complete at 602 Malcomb Street, right next door to the adult Crisis Wellness Center.
This spring, Alliance will open a purpose-built crisis facility for young people ages 4 to 17, led by Dr. Kiersten Hawes, a Memphis native and former Clinical Director at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
The facility uses trauma-informed design, with calming teal walls, nature-themed murals, and a secure outdoor courtyard with a basketball court. Because kids in crisis deserve a space that feels safe, not clinical.
Who the Crisis Wellness Center Serves
The CWC is here for anyone in Shelby County experiencing a behavioral health crisis, whether that's a mental health emergency, a substance use crisis, or both. You don't need insurance to walk through the door.
Alliance accepts TennCare (Medicaid), Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Aetna. Sliding-scale fees and the Mental Health Safety Net Program are available for uninsured individuals. Same-day intake appointments are available Monday through Friday during business hours, and the crisis line is answered 24/7.
If you're not sure whether what you're experiencing counts as a "crisis" call us anyway. That's what we're here for.
Made Possible by Community Support
None of this happens without the people and partners who believed in this vision from the start.
Thanks to the support of state and local leaders, donors, and partners, the Crisis Wellness Center has already diverted thousands of people from emergency rooms and jail systems, connecting them to real care instead. But the work doesn't stop with opening the doors. Keeping them open takes sustained investment.
The Alliance Foundation is the fundraising arm behind this mission. Every gift supports mental health, behavioral health, and substance use treatment for our community — from crisis stabilization to long-term recovery.
If the CWC's first year means something to you, there's a way to be part of year two.
Donate to The Alliance Foundation and help us keep this momentum going.
How to Get Help
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, you have options right now:
Walk in. The Crisis Wellness Center at 3200 Broad Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112, is open 24/7. No appointment needed.
Call the Alliance crisis line: (901) 369-1410 - answered around the clock by trained professionals.
General inquiries and intake: Call (901) 369-1410 Monday through Friday during business hours.
You don't have to wait for a crisis to reach out. Recovery is possible, treatment works, and help is available today.
Other resources: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for immediate support.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.
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