New county building brings health services to Merrifield area

Staff from various mental health, substance abuse, and other
programs operated by the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board have
begun moving into the agency’s new building at 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in
Merrifield.

Staff from youth services programs began moving in first in
mid-January. When everyone’s been relocated, the building will have some 400
employees, including staff from the Woodburn Center in Annandale and other
sites in Fairfax and Falls Church.

Lyn Tomlinson, assistant deputy director for Acute
Therapeutic Treatment Services, and Robert Moore, operating manager for the
building, took the Annandale Blogger on a tour of the mostly empty building on Jan.
15.

The 200,000-square foot Merrifield Center houses 13 programs
from seven sites, including services for adults and youths battling alcohol or drug abuse or/or mental health issues and individuals with intellectual disabilities.
 

The program focusing on day treatment for youths includes
classrooms for students age 13-18 staffed by teachers from Fairfax County
Public Schools.

There are separate programs for women and men in recovery,
because “gender-specific treatment is more successful,” Tomlinson says.

The Community Transitions and Forensic Services department
provides mental health and substance abuse assistance for people re-entering
the community after serving time in jail.

Moore pointed out the nature-focused design features inside
the building, including large murals of flowers, water scenes, and the like;
soothing colors from the natural world; and lighting colors that can be adjusted to
create a certain mood. It was designed by Huelat Davis, an Alexandria-based
architectural firm that specializes in creating environments focused on
healing.

“It’s all designed to be calming, welcoming, and inviting,” Moore
said. The building also has sustainability and energy-saving elements, such as a
rooftop system to collect stormwater and motion detectors that turn the lights
off in vacant rooms.

And because of the nature of the clients served in the
building, there are a lot of security features, such as cameras and controlled
access with badges required to move from one area into another.  There’s a police sally port for people
arriving via ambulance or police cruiser at a separate emergency services entrance.

The emergency department is open 24 hours a day, all year
long. It’s staffed by clinicians trained to conduct evaluations for
hospitalization, said Tomlinson. Among people they treat are those who feel
like they want to harm themselves or are actively psychotic. Some people come
on their own; others are brought by the police or family members.  

A pharmacy and primary health care center, staffed by physicians,
will open soon, offering one-stop shopping, so clients will be able to get a
physical exam, mental health evaluation, and prescriptions without leaving the
building.

On the first floor, there’s a peer resource center, where
people struggling with mental health or substance abuse can receive support and
mentoring from former clients with “lived experience in recovery,” Tomlinson said.
Former clients teach classes, conduct wellness groups, work one-on-one with
clients currently in recovery, and help with computer skills and job
searching. 

CSB clients pay for services according to a sliding scale
based on income, and services are available for clients’ families, as well.

The CSB continues to operate programs in Annandale, Springfield,
the Route 1 corridor, Reston, and Chantilly, so people in those areas needn’t
make the trek to Merrifield.

A grand opening ceremony for the Merrifield Center is
scheduled for March 27.