State and county leaders tour construction of a Walk-In Center that will bring mental health and substance use support closer to home for McKean and surrounding counties.
BRADFORD, PA – Soon, anyone in McKean and neighboring counties facing a mental health or substance use crisis will have a door that never closes. Construction is underway on The Guidance Center’s new 24/7 Walk-In Center at 110 Campus Drive in Bradford, set to open in spring 2027, and on Monday, October 19, state and county leaders got a first-hand look at the progress.
Leaders See the Progress First-Hand
Thomas R. Stark, Executive Director of the PA Association of County Human Services and the Society of County Human Resource Professionals of PA, joined McKean County Department of Human Services Administrator Dan Wertz for a walk through the construction site.
“I’m genuinely excited about what’s happening here. This center will mean shorter waits, fewer trips out of county, and faster help for people in crisis. It will give our first responders a better option, too. That’s a real, positive impact on families across McKean County,” said Wertz.
A Welcoming Place, Any Hour of the Day
Connected to The Guidance Center’s main office, the Walk-In Center will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will provide mental health and substance use crisis care for anyone, no appointment needed.
Designed to feel more like home than a clinic, the center will offer assessment, stabilization and connection to ongoing care.
What to Expect When You Walk In
Walk-ins will be welcome anytime, day or night. Front desk staff will greet each person, gather basic information, and connect them with a trained professional as quickly as possible. The goal is to make getting help simple, comfortable and stress-free.
Services will include crisis assessment and intervention, short-term counseling, de-escalation and safety planning, peer support, psychiatric consultation, medication management, and connections to community resources.
Why It Matters for McKean County
A crisis rarely waits for business hours. Many people in a rural county like ours have to wait, travel long distances, or turn to an emergency room that isn’t built for behavioral health care. That gap has widened. On December 15, 2024, Bradford Regional Medical Center, owned by Kaleida Health, permanently closed its psychiatric services, including its inpatient psychiatric and dual-diagnosis behavioral health units. In mid-2026, the hospital also closed its emergency department and inpatient
medical services as it moved away from full-hospital operations. The Walk-In Center changes that by putting immediate, person-centered behavioral health support right here.
The project represents a significant investment in accessible behavioral health services for McKean County and the surrounding region. The center’s team will work closely with community partners, first responders and law enforcement, giving families and officers a dedicated place to bring someone in crisis, often an alternative to the emergency room.
“When someone is in crisis, the worst thing we can tell them is to wait,” said Denise Bean, Ph.D., Executive Director of The Guidance Center. “With the loss of local psychiatric and emergency services, too many of our neighbors have had nowhere close to turn. This unit will help address those gaps in services and give individuals the care they need, when they need it, any hour of any day, right here in McKean County. It will be a place to turn when crisis can’t wait.”
The initial phase of the project is funded through a grant secured by county officials that blends state and federal dollars. A fundraising campaign is underway to cover the remaining costs. The cost of care is expected to be covered through insurance options.
Looking Ahead
The Guidance Center expects the Walk-In Center to open in spring 2027. Updates on construction and the opening will be shared at https://www.guidancecenter.net/walk-in-center/. To support the campaign, visit the website or contact Denise Bean, Ph.D., at 814-362-6535.
Help is available now. If you or someone you love is struggling, reach out to The Guidance Center at 814-362-6535 or the McKean County Crisis Hotline at 814-362-4623 or 1-800-459-6568. You can also call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day.
Thomas R. Stark, Executive Director, PA Association of County Human Services (left), and Dan Wertz, McKean County Department of Human Services Administrator (right), tour construction of The Guidance Center’s future 24/7 Walk-In Center on Campus Drive on Monday, October 19.