Ribbon cut at Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center
Published on July 29, 2026
Under clear skies and shining sun, nearly 300 people gathered Tuesday to celebrate what so many in Cabarrus have waited for: the ribbon-cutting of the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center.
The crowd of elected officials, healthcare leaders, first responders, educators and community partners stood alongside residents and families whose lives have been touched by mental health challenges.
They came to celebrate a place where people can turn when they need it most.
It didn’t feel like a typical ribbon cutting.
There was pride in the crowd. Gratitude. A sense that the moment represented more than the completion of a construction project. It reflected a shared commitment to support, compassion and hope.
“Years from now, people may not remember this ceremony,” said Cabarrus County Behavioral Health Director Dr. Kamilah McKissick. “But they will remember how they felt when they walked through those doors. They will remember that they found hope, and that is the legacy of the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center.”
The center, which is a partnership between Cabarrus County and Monarch Healthcare, is the latest step in Cabarrus County’s ongoing effort to improve access to behavioral health care.
That effort stretches back to 2016, when the Cabarrus County Mental Health Advisory Board began bringing local partners together to identify gaps in care and find solutions.
Those conversations ultimately led to Mental Health First Aid training, expanded school-based mental health support, the Stepping Up and No Wrong Door initiatives and the County’s Behavioral Health Department.
Tuesday’s celebration marked a major milestone in that work. The center comes at a critical time: the most recent County Needs Assessment identified behavioral healthcare as a top priority.
Throughout the ceremony, speakers shared personal stories of why the center matters.
Cabarrus County Commissioner Kenny Wortman spoke about his family’s experience navigating a behavioral health crisis. He recalled the uncertainty of leaving his child in an emergency department while searching for answers.
“Everybody here has needed help,” Wortman said. “This is our way to help. We’re here to give you a hand up, not a handout.”
His story reflected what so many families have experienced and why access to care matters.
The center’s namesake, City of Concord Mayor Steve Morris, recognized the many people whose work made the center possible.
“My name is on the building, but their fingerprints are everywhere inside it,” he said.
Morris reminded the audience that while the building bears his name, its purpose belongs to everyone who will walk through its doors seeking support.
“This is different,” said Principal Consultant Sherri Reyes of human eXperience, the center’s design firm. “I think it’s amazing to not only talk about behavioral health as an issue in a community, but to actually do something about it with tenacity and grit ... I think that’s so special.”
Monarch CEO Peggy Terhune shifted the focus to those who will one day walk through the center's doors.
“They’re going to be treated with compassion,” she said. “They’re going to be treated as though they are sick, not as though they are bad. They’re going to be treated as though they are people of worth and value.”
Cox Mill High School student Mahira Jhingran, who helped create a local initiative called Teen Minds Matter, captured what the center means for young people facing mental health challenges.
“Teenagers across Cabarrus County will no longer have to feel unseen,” she said.
Additional remarks were shared by Kelly Crosbie, director of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services; Chris Malinowski, regional leader and vice president of Messer Construction; and Dr. Aalece Pugh, Cabarrus County assistant county manager and director of Human Services.
At the close of the ceremony, a group gathered around Morris to officially mark the occasion. As the ribbon fell, applause filled the courtyard before guests stepped inside for guided tours of the nearly 60,000-square-foot facility.
Visitors explored the Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHC), Facility-Based Crisis (FBC) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Residential Treatment (PRTF) spaces while meeting the teams staffing the center.
Made possible through a $32.5 million investment from the State of North Carolina, the center was designed to provide a full continuum of behavioral health services under one roof. It is expected to reduce barriers to care, improve response times and offer an alternative to the emergency department for many experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also provided an additional $2.5 million to help offset “soft costs” associated with the project.
Behind the celebration is a growing need. Between 2023 and 2024, emergency department visits related to anxiety and depression increased by approximately 13 percent in Cabarrus County.
Community studies have also shown that while residents recognize the importance of behavioral health, many continue to face challenges accessing timely, culturally responsive care.
When the center opens later this year, it will become part of a larger effort to ensure no one faces a behavioral health crisis alone.
Tuesday marked the completion of a building. But the impact will go far beyond the structure itself.
“More than brick and mortar, more than square footage, more than any grant or budget line, this building represents a decision our community made,” Morris said. “A decision that when someone we love is suffering, we will not turn them away, ship them off or let them fall through the cracks. We will meet them here with care, with dignity and with the belief that recovery is possible.”