Groundbreaking ceremony for new mental health facility held on December 15
On December 15, 2025, representatives from Bolivar County and Life Help mental health services held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new mental health center in Cleveland. It will be located next to the Bolivar County Health Department. “We are deeply grateful to the Bolivar County Board of Supervisors for donating the land for this facility. This project is a powerful demonstration of their long standing commitment and understanding how critical access to mental health services is to this community” said Phaedre Cole, Executive Director of Life Help. She added, “I want to also recognize Bolivar County Administrator, Will Hooker, as a key liaison between Life Help and the Board of Supervisors”.
Ken Howard, District 4 Supervisor, in whose district the center will be located, added “I would like to thank my fellow board members for their collaboration and unanimous decision to partner in making this facility a reality. The additional space will not only accommodate Life Help’s current staffing and operations but will also allow opportunities for future growth and expanded services. Mental health needs continue to rise across our communities. Whether through news reports, schools or families, we see firsthand the growing demand for accessible and effective mental health resources.”
Bill Quinton, Bolivar County District 2 supervisor, stated, “ I appreciate us being allowed to partner with Life Help so that we can have better treatment for mental health issues in Bolivar County. This new building will be beneficial so the county can be better served. It is something that all Bolivar County citizens can be proud of.”
One of the important features of the new facility will be its proximity to the Capps inpatient mental health crisis center, which will now be directly across the street. Cole stated although the current location on Hwy 61 south has served the community well, the lack of proximity to the Capps Crisis Center and other adjacent medical facilities posed logistics issues, clarifying the new center will solve those and offer a full, consolidated spectrum of acute and chronic mental health services to the citizens of Bolivar and surrounding counties.
Some of the services offered will be depression and anxiety counseling and management, outpatient programs for patients with chronic mental health conditions and disabilities along with enhanced access to social work services. Furthermore, I-CORT will be offered, which Cole describes as a “hospital without walls.” The service will bring critically needed mental health services to the homes of patients suffering from serious and debilitating mental illness who otherwise would have great difficulty in accessing care.
The 21,000 square foot facility will cost approximately $6.1 million dollars and is financed by Life Help. Mills and Mills Architects from Greenville, Mississippi designed the facility and building will be done by Timbo’s Construction of Cleveland. Eley McPherson Engineering of Cleveland performed the site survey and development. Work is scheduled to get underway soon and be completed sometime in 2026.
For more information about the wide variety of mental health services offered by Life Help, call 662-843-9445. If you need emergency and/or after hours assistance, call the 24 hour helpline at 1-855-590-9445 or the national 988 hotline.