New mental health center to open in place of demolished, blighted motel in Macon

For some with intellectual developmental disabilities or mental health disorders, daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning and socializing can be difficult.

A blighted motel in Macon was demolished Wednesday and will be replaced with an adult mental health facility focused on peer support and overcoming these types of daily obstacles.

The River Edge Behavioral Health Peer Support and Community Adult Center will help people transition away from negative circumstances through life practice programs, community integration and job training. The 35,000-square-foot facility will be at 2016 Ingleside Avenue and Riverside Drive.

“The center will include large group rooms, a common area, arts and crafts rooms, calming rooms, a teaching kitchen and an all-inclusive gymnasium,” according to a press release.

These areas are meant to teach adults to express themselves by integrating them into situations that could occur in real life.

“Adults with IDDs might have different levels of… autonomy,” Kelly McWilliams, director of communications for River Edge, said. “Sometimes people think with individuals with IDDs need everything… but our goal is to help people individualize, create goals and express themselves.”

How the facility will work

The center will have tailored programs for adults with IDDs, psychiatric disorders, substance use, trauma and other mental health concerns.

McWilliams gave examples of how the facility’s practice spaces could teach someone to communicate and advocate for themselves.

“You can say ‘hey, I can do that. Thank you for offering to get that cereal for me, but I want to do it myself,’” McWilliams said. “‘This is my choice,’ you know, ‘I can roll my wheelchair over and get it myself.”

The center “will serve as a safe place for those seeking help through weekly support groups by providing a welcoming environment for anyone age 18 and over seeking a sense of belonging,” a press release said.

With facilities across Central Georgia, River Edge accepts most insurances, Medicare and Medicaid. It offers sliding scale payment options for patients without a home, insurance or with low income, McWilliams said.

When will the facility open?

Construction of the site is expected to be complete by 2026, according to Kelly McWilliams, River Edge’s director of communications.

The demolition is part of Macon-Bibb County’s Blight Fight initiative, which has helped fund demolitions for over 715 sites, according to Chris Floore, the county’s chief communications officer.

Two abandoned motel buildings used to stand at the site.

“The back motel, which was very blighted, has already been torn down, and the front one (was) demolished (Wednesday),” McWilliams said.