This story discusses suicide and self-harm. If you are at risk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for support at 1-800-273-8255. You can also text the Suicide and Crisis Line at 988 to connect with help.
Nashville will soon open a new 24-7 emergency mental health facility for children ages 4-17.
City leaders assembled for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Children and Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit off Cumberland Bend on Oct. 21. While an exact date is not set, the center is expected to open in the weeks to come as construction concludes.
The opening comes as the youth mental health crisis continues nationwide and critical gaps in mental health care access persist in Tennessee. A state report released last year showed that Tennessee ranks in the top 20 states for suicide rates among children ages 9-17. Suicides carried out with a firearm in that same age group ranked in the top 10 nationally.
The Children and Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit in Nashville includes 15 beds, plus two observation beds. City leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell was on hand for the ceremony. During a brief address, he cited several statistics illustrating the dire need for youth mental health care in Tennessee and beyond.
“This unit is coming online at a critical time,” he said. “As the father of a teenager, these are much more than numbers to me.”
The new 15-bed facility is available to children free of charge, regardless of insurance coverage, and will welcome walk-ins. The Mental Health Cooperative, which runs the facility, is working in partnership with the city. The cooperative is also behind the Partners in Care program, which pairs Nashville police officers with mental health professionals to help with calls that involve people in a behavioral crisis. Funding for the facility comes from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
“Every day, children across Tennessee reach a breaking point, and too often, there’s nowhere for them to safely turn,” Mental Health Cooperative CEO Michelle Schafer said in an Oct. 17 news release. “This facility is a promise to every parent that their child’s life matters.”
The Children and Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit in Nashville includes 15 beds, plus two observation beds. City leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
Nashville Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway also joined the Oct. 21 ceremony, praising the advocates, state and city officials and other leaders who helped make it a reality. Referring to a quote by Nelson Mandela, she said how a society treats its children reveals its true values. She also told a story about a troubled child who landed in her courtroom who would have benefited from a mental health facility like the one now opening.
“I’ve got some kids who are ready for y’all,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Report: Tennessee ranks among top child suicide rates nationwide
Here’s a look at what the facility offers:
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15 beds, plus two observation beds
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Private and semi-private rooms
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A therapy dog named Gimli who will join patients for weekly story times
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Group sessions divided by age group
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Hundreds of books donated by the Nashville Public Library
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State-of-the-art features including a commercial-grade kitchen and laundry facilities, touch lights and anti-barricade and anti-ligature doors
In a tour of the facility, staff explained that the doors have sensors on top of them that will alert staff if something is attached to them. This measure is meant to prevent self-harm by strangulation or hanging. The doors also have special mechanisms that allow them to open outward in an emergency to override a barricade.
Learn more about the Mental Health Cooperative and the services it offers at MHC-TN.com.
Rachel Wegner covers education and children’s issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@tennessean.com. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville unveils 24-7 youth mental health emergency facility
