By admin 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — A center that will soon be North Carolina’s largest and only pediatric behavioral health care facility is one step closer to opening.
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On Tuesday, local and state leaders gathered for a ceremony celebrating a milestone for the Katie Blessing Center. The drywall is up, and the exterior is now enclosed.
The behavioral health urgent care will be the first phase of the center to open. It’s where kids will come to take their first step toward improving their mental health.
“This is a place of hope,” said Kayla Flett, an intern.
And it’s a place young people, like Flett, wish had existed when they were battling mental health issues.
“I struggled a lot with depression and anxiety and was in two inpatient hospitals and eventually flew across the country to California, where I was there for two months receiving residential treatment,” she said. “Coming home, I was like, wait, why did I have to go so far to receive care for my mental health?”
By 2027, children won’t have to go far. They’ll come to the Katie Blessing Center.
“This is going to make a major impact for our community, not only the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community, but we’re going to serve kids across the state,” said CEO Anthony Trotman.
It’s going to offer comprehensive care for kids ages five to 17. The center will include a 72-bed treatment facility where patients can stay long-term, along with an eight-chair behavioral health urgent care for shorter stays.
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“They’re actually putting into action what everyone just talks about,” said Mecklenburg County Commissioner Laura Meier.
Meier and other local leaders gathered for a dry-in ceremony Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the building’s full enclosure. People got to take tours and see the progress made since April of 2025 when the groundbreaking ceremony took place.
“It’s just these little steps that they’re taking,” said Meier. “It’s all for one thing to help children have access to mental health that they don’t have right now in Mecklenburg County and in the southeast.”
The youth involved in helping shape the future facility speak from experience when they say it will change the trajectory of many people’s lives.
PREVIOUS | First look inside what will become the only pediatric behavioral health care facility
“This truly would have been life-changing for both me and my family,” said Flett. “The integrated care is a big factor here. And the closeness to home, I wouldn’t have to miss out on important holidays or birthdays.”
Crews are expecting to complete the first full phase of the Katie Blessing Center by the first few months of 2027.
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