Nothing is wrong with renting, unless of course you can build a$5 million facility to better the health of surrounding neighborsand help job growth in the area.

After months of planning, negotiations and the Lincoln Countysupervisors’ approval, the Region 8 Mental Health-MentalRetardation Commission broke ground on the Region 8 Mental HealthCenter Monday on Highway 51 North.

“We’re going to do things in the mental health field in onelocation with additional staff, and I think it’s going to be asituation with in-patient and out-patient (care) that LincolnCounty is going to be proud of,” said Lincoln County Chancery ClerkTillmon Bishop, who is also serving as commissioner to Region 8Mental Health Services.

The estimated $5 million, 32,000-square-foot facility will siton the seven acres of land located next to the current Region 8building on Highway 51. Construction of the center will be fundedby 10 years worth of savings by Region 8.

“Just like any other private health care agency, if people don’twant to buy our services we don’t exist,” said Region 8 ExecutiveDirector Dave Van.

Currently, Region 8 is leasing its property from King’sDaughters Medical Center until March 2012.

Therefore, the February 2012 construction deadline givescontractor Paul Jackson & Son, Inc. a little bit of wiggleroom. However, if the unpredictable Lincoln County weather or somesort of other factor should interfere with the facility’sconstruction, those seeking services will not be left in thecold.

“(The lease) will be negotiated as it goes along,” said Van.

In June, the board of supervisors decided to discontinue the36-year long partnership with Southwest Mississippi CommunityMental Health Complex (Region 11) and join Copiah, Madison,Simpson, and Rankin in counties receiving the services of Region8.

“It wasn’t because of the people, it was basically what Region 8brought to the table,” Bishop said of the reasoning behind thechange. “The board of supervisors felt it was the best interest forLincoln County to make this move.”

With Region 8, which is also operating the Brookhaven CrisisIntervention Center, comes their mobile crises response teams tohelp provide the proper care for mental commitments.

The new facility will also help local economic development. Vansaid the new center will employee about 100 people once fullyoperational.

“You said you’d do a lot of things if we take you all on,”District Four Supervisor Doug Moak said to Region 8 officials whileacknowledging the construction site. “This is evidence of it righthere.”

Van said that according to national statistics, one in four willsuffer from a mental illness in their lifetime. He said Region 8 iscurrently serving 22,000 patients.

“Anyone in Lincoln County that doesn’t think mental health is anissue probably hasn’t had to deal with it,” said Bishop.