BATON ROUGE - A new facility that intends to serve those in the capital city who suffer from mental health or substance abuse issues is opening its doors, Wednesday (Dec. 16) for a public tour of its new facilities.

The new Bridge Center for Hope in Baton Rouge is eager to allow the public in for a viewing of what it has to offer in the way of mental health assistance.

WBRZ's Nadeen Abusada spoke with an official with the organization that sponsors the Bridge Center for Hope, Amy Pugsley, Vice President of RI International.

Pugsley shed light on how the center is funded saying, "The taxpayer dollars that were passed was the 5.8 million that was part of our contract and the rest goes to The Bridge Center for Hope Board. And the rest of the funding... that will all be through contracts with Medicaid care organizations."

She went on to explain that RI International has a network of crisis centers similar to The Bridge Center across the country, and that throughout the pandemic none have been forced to shut down.

Each facility takes COVID precautions seriously, implementing mask requirements and temperatures checks.

At the same time, facility staff continue to offer help to every age-appropriate crisis sufferer who comes to them in need.

"You can come anytime, anyone. Adults, ages 18 and older," Pugsley said. "We're going to accept everyone in a welcoming way."

The Bridge Center of Hope, located at 3455 Florida Boulevard, anticipates serving at least 5,000 individuals in the Baton Rouge area annually, according to its website.

One day before Wednesday's public tour, a special ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials and community leaders took place, Tuesday.

Click here for additional information on the new facility.