The Newton County branch of Weems Community Mental Health Center in Decatur will now be able to help more patients after the completion of a $980,000 expansion project. Construction work on the project took about nine months and nearly doubled the total space of the facility on South Sixth Avenue from about 2,800 square feet to nearly 5,600 square feet.
Weems’ Newton County Branch Office Supervisor Janet Simmons said the expansion provides more room for the branch’s day program where counselors and physicians treat adults in the outpatient program.
“We have a psychosocial rehabilitation program. It’s an adult program where we work on all kinds of skills, like how to control their temper, how to deal with depression, nervousness and anxiety and learning about other major mental disorders,” Simmons said. “They also learn about alcohol and drugs and the importance of taking their medication.”
The project expanded the eastern side of the building, and the room that houses the day program now has more space for patients, a large kitchen, two offices and bathrooms. The project also added rear parking.
The center started having meetings in the new space around two weeks ago, and Simmons said it has already made a difference for the patients.
“They love having more space, and we can even get a couple of more tables in here if it grows,” she said. “We average between 20 to 25 a day, but with this space we could go up to 35.”
LPK Architects of Meridian designed the building, as well as Weems’ Meridian facility, and D&E Construction of Meridian did most of the construction along with subcontractors.
Simmons said Weems will hold a grand opening at some point but no date has been set.
Founded in 1970, Weems operates in each of the nine counties that make up Region Ten of the Mississippi Community Mental Health System including Clarke, Jasper, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Smith. The center started having meetings in the new space around two weeks ago, and Simmons said it has already made a difference for the patients.
“They love having more space, and we can even get a couple of more tables in here if it grows,” she said. “We average between 20 to 25 a day, but with this space we could go up to 35.”
LPK Architects of Meridian designed the building, as well as Weems’ Meridian facility, and D&E Construction of Meridian did most of the construction along with subcontractors.
Simmons said Weems will hold a grand opening at some point but no date has been set.
Founded in 1970, Weems operates in each of the nine counties that make up Region Ten of the Mississippi Community Mental Health System including Clarke, Jasper, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Smith.
