CLEVELAND, Ohio — A new Cuyahoga County Behavioral Health Center – envisioned to transform crisis care and offer a “no wrong door” entry to mental health and addiction services – may not materialize.

This summer, Executive Chris Ronayne proposed giving $7 million to help convert the former St. Vincent Charity Hospital into a new hub for psychiatric care, and another $12 million to help operate it for the first three years. He said the facility would provide crisis stabilization services, detox services and connections to long-term treatment, helping people in crisis avoid jail or costly emergency room stays.

But County Council controls the purse strings and members have been hesitant to commit that level of support to a project that, while already under construction, still faces

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