CEDC Champions $16 Million Mental Health Facility to Serve the Chippewa Valley

CEDC is collaborating with Senator Jesse James and Representative Clint Moses to strengthen mental health services in the Chippewa Valley, championing a transformative project that will expand access to critical mental health services. CEO Charlie Walker recently testified before the Wisconsin Assembly in support of Assembly Bill 388, and before the Wisconsin Senate for Senate Bill 407, advocating for the release of a $10 million state grant to support Rogers Behavioral Health Project. He was joined by CEDC Board Member Maureen Carlson, who also testified in support of SB 407. Their testimony highlighted the urgent need for improved mental health resources in the region following recent hospital closures that left communities underserved. Walker emphasized the strain on local systems, while Carlson noted how the proposed facility would relieve pressure on emergency departments and reduce the need for families to travel hours away for crisis care.

Rogers Behavioral Health is making a significant investment in the Chippewa Falls region by moving forward with plans to build a new behavioral health hospital, bolstered by a $10 million state grant approved in mid-2025. This project is a direct response to the critical shortage of mental health treatment options in the Chippewa Valley following the closure of area hospitals that previously provided essential psychiatric beds and services. The planned facility will include a 24-bed hospital offering crisis stabilization, residential treatment, and partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient programs, restoring much-needed acute care capacity for adolescents and adults in the region. The initiative has received broad support from local and state officials, with the goal of ensuring residents have access to comprehensive behavioral health care closer to home and alleviating the burden on both families and emergency departments. The expansion by Rogers Behavioral Health is regarded as a vital step in addressing local service gaps and strengthening the community’s mental health infrastructure after significant recent closures of HSHS. The total expansion costs is estimated to be $16 million and is anticipated to create roughly a hundred jobs.

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