An aerial view of the new Psychiatric Urgent Care Center in the Antelope Valley.

Lancaster – At the informational meeting Wednesday, Dec. 11 at High Desert Regional Health Center, the plot plan for the Psychiatric Urgent Care Center facility was discussed by Mr. Andrew Moey, Assistant Deputy Director of Los Angeles County Public Works.  

The location will be on the campus of Los Angeles County’s High Desert Regional Health Center located at 335 East Ave. I in Lancaster at the far east corner of East Avenue I and 5th Street East. The informational meeting on December 11 drew 100+ community members who learned about the plans for a psychiatric urgent care facility to be built and the numerous reasons behind the necessity of such a facility.

Los Angeles County supervisors authorized a $14.3 million contract to expand mental health services at the county’s High Desert Regional Health Center. Authorized Tuesday November 19 in a vote at the Board of Supervisors meeting in Los Angeles, the contract will pay for construction of a 9,900-square-foot 24-hour mental health urgent care building adjoining the five-year-old county health center in central Lancaster, providing services for Antelope Valley patients who now must travel to the county’s Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar. “It’s a necessity that Antelope Valley residents get the services they need near home, without making them travel hours for care,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who pushed for creation of the new facility. “The urgent care center will offer services that Antelope Valley healthcare professionals have long asked for locally. It’s imperative the county continue to enhance resources in the Antelope Valley.”

The psychiatric urgent care building, which will be built east of the 142,000-square-foot health center that opened in 2014, will be open around the clock and will offer mental health services to adults, children and adolescents including diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, referrals, consultation, community services, crisis intervention/stabilization, medication support, linkage and case management, county officials said. The size of the building will be 10,000 square feet. It is planned to have the groundbreaking around January 20± or so with completion of the building planned for September/October 2020. A full environmental report is not required so the building construction can be escalated. The facility will be energy efficient and use of solar is in the plans.  By Shirley Harriman