Bright Path Center
About the Bright Path Center
A major advancement in the way our system provides health care, Bright Path Center is being built on best practices to treat behavioral health challenges. With separate spaces for children and adults, the center is specially designed to receive, stabilize, and refer individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis related to mental health, drug and alcohol use, or intellectual disabilities.
It will be located on the grounds of, but separate from, Penn Medicine Doylestown Hospital, next to Lenape Valley Foundation’s existing location at 500 N. West Street, Doylestown. The center is a collaborative effort between Doylestown Health, Bucks County Department of Behavioral Health/Developmental Programs, Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, and Lenape Valley Foundation.
Bright Path Center will offer compassionate care to individuals and families to de-escalate a critical situation and determine the best path forward to hope and healing.
Click here to read an article from 3/27/25 on the project in the Bucks County Courier Times
FAQ
How many people will it be able to accommodate?
We expect to serve about 7,000 people each year.
When is the building expected to open?
Groundbreaking took place in the spring of 2024. The building will be complete in March 2026, and services are expected to begin in summer 2026.
How is this different from what is currently being done?
Today in Bucks County, individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises often are taken to local emergency rooms. While hospitals do an excellent job of evaluating and caring for people experiencing medical crisis, the crowded, sometimes noisy and chaotic environment of a hospital emergency department can exacerbate the distress of a person experiencing a behavioral health issue.
The Bright Path Center is specifically designed with behavioral health best practices in mind, including a calming environment and separate spaces for children and adults, staffed by professionals who specialize in treating behavioral health issues.
In addition, the collaborative model means that the center will provide all the components of crisis services that are now spread across our system. The Bright Path Center will be equipped to handle acute care services mental health, drug and alcohol, intellectual disabilities, and more.
How will this change crisis services in Bucks County?
Once Bright Path Center opens, it will serve as Bucks County’s central location for walk-in behavioral health crisis support. Bright Path Center will provide a dedicated, county-wide resource designed to connect individuals and families with timely behavioral health support and services.
Individuals seeking crisis care in Bucks County will have the following options in addition to the Bright Path Center:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Anyone experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, substance use concerns, or a mental health crisis can call or text 988 at any time for immediate support. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 and connects individuals directly to trained crisis counselors.
Mobile Crisis: Mobile Crisis services are available to individuals anywhere in Bucks County who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis and may need support in the community, home, or another safe location. Mobile Crisis can respond directly to your location to assess needs, de-escalate the situation, and connect individuals to appropriate care. Contact the Mobile Crisis Team by calling 1-877-435-7709.
Hospital Emergency Department: Individuals in crisis and those also in need of acute medical care can seek immediate support through the emergency department nearest to you.
How will it work?
When individuals are brought to or voluntarily present to the center, treatment will start immediately. In comfortable rooms in a home-like atmosphere, they will be provided food, water, clean clothes or other needed items. Psychiatrists, counselors and other trained professionals will assess and determine the best next steps.
Individuals can remain at the center as they stabilize or can be referred to programs such as inpatient psychiatric facilities, The Lodge Crisis Residential, longer-term drug and alcohol treatment, or, in the future, to the Bucks County Forensic Diversion, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, now under development.
What services will be provided?
- 24/7 crisis support by phone, so help is always just a call away.
- Mobile crisis teams that can come to you quickly when in-person support is needed.
- 24/7 walk-in crisis care for children, teens, and adults, with assessment and immediate help to stabilize the situation.
- Short-term crisis residential care for teens and adults who need extra support in a safe, structured setting.
- Withdrawal support services to help people safely manage substance use recovery.
- Safe, secure treatment spaces designed to provide compassionate care to individuals who require additional safety measures.
Who can seek help at Bright Path Center?
You do not have to face a crisis alone. Help is here.
- Children and teens
- Adults
- Families and caregivers
- Individuals experiencing emotional distress
- People facing mental health crises
- Individuals struggling with substance use or withdrawal
- Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities
What should I expect when I come to Bright Path Center?
When you arrive, you will be welcomed by caring professionals who will:
- Listen without judgment
- Help you feel safe and calm
- Assess your needs
- Provide immediate support
- Help you determine the best next steps
Most visits last a few hours. Our goal is to help you stabilize and move forward safely.
When should someone come to Bright Path Center?
If you or a loved one are:
- Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unsafe
- Experiencing suicidal thoughts
- Facing a mental health crisis
- Struggling with substance use
- In emotional distress and need immediate help
- Unsure where to turn
Walk in anytime, day or night.
What are the additional features of the building?
· 22,000 square feet
· Sallyport entrance for safe, secure drop-off of involuntary individuals in crisis
· Separate areas for children and adults
· Welcoming, home-like environment, with soothing décor, soft lighting, and reclining chairs
· 80 parking spaces, with additional parking in the shared lot at existing Lenape Valley location
