Seeking to divert residents experiencing mental health crises from an overburdened criminal justice and hospital system, Benton County Crisis Center (BCCC) provides walk-in voluntary stabilization and longer term residential care services in a new facility in downtown Corvallis. A 24-7 operation, it bridges a gap in the continuum of care while relieving overburdened inpatient units and local law enforcement.
Conceived in cooperation with an array of regional leaders in public health, social services, and crime prevention, the design of BCCC focuses on the concept of the building as an “embrace”. Each occupants’ immediate needs inform the building’s organization, materiality, and supportive features. An atmosphere for healing is created through a calming, cool color palette, welcoming warm tones, an emphasis on curved forms, and plenty of natural light.
The design balances sensitive application of durable materials that mitigate the risk of harm while eschewing institutionality. Safety provisions for clients and staff are artfully integrated into the facility’s planning, finishes, and access control. For example, the residents’ community kitchen can be secured when needed with a steel curtain that is warm in tone and does not feel “institutional,” which maintains a feeling of warmth in the dining area.
As the first center in Oregon to provide these services in a singular facility, BCCC will serve as a model for how behavioral health facilities can respond to trauma and provide both quality and dignity.
Click here for KEZI Channel 9 News coverage of BCCC’s 2025 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
—TINA KOTEK, GOVERNOR OF OREGON, SPEAKING AT THE BCCC RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY