DAPHNE, Ala. — A consortium of area agencies is poised to gain approval for a regional mental health care facility in Daphne. Alabama Administrative Law Judge Stanton McDonald signed an order Monday recommending that Gulf Coast Psychiatric LLC (GCP) be permitted to open a 66-bed adult psychiatric acute care treatment center, which will also have a teaching component.

McDonald’s order was filed Tuesday morning in Montgomery, and a final decision by the state must be made in seven to 10 days.

The hospital, which will be located in the former Albert P. Brewer Bayside Center on Roper Lane, now houses The Shoulder, a treatment facility for men fighting alcohol or drug addiction.

The group, consisting of AltaPointe Health Systems (formerly Mobile Mental Health), Gulf Health Hospitals (Infirmary Health System hospitals in Baldwin County) and the Baldwin County Mental Health Center (BCMHC), could have the psychiatric hospital operational within a year, according to Robin Riggins, executive director of BCMHC.

Riggins said a competing application by Tennessee-based SeniorHealth Inc. was withdrawn. The company had also applied to the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) for a Certificate of Need (CON) in hopes of building its own psychiatric facility on land just off Greeno Road, across from Thomas Hospital in Fairhope. Company officials say the firm is undergoing a restructuring, and the Eastern Shore location it had planned does not currently fit into its strategy.

Opposition to GCP’s plan was also mounted by Laurel Oaks Behavioral Health Center of Dothan, which treats children and adolescents up to age 18. The parent company, Psychiatric Solutions Inc. ended its fight to stop state approval when assured the Daphne center would only treat men and women ages 19 and up.

The state requires a new CON when a health care provider creates a new service, changes services or seeks rate adjustments. GCP initially filed its certificate application in December 2006.

“Although this process has taken longer than we would have liked, we believe the community will appreciate the advantages of local health care providers running this hospital,” Tuerk Schlesinger, AltaPointe CEO, stated in a press release issued after the hearing. “These LLC members have been the leading mental health service providers of inpatient and outpatient mental health care in this region for more than 50 years.”

Riggins said, “We’re hoping to hear about approval in the coming week. We’re going to be treating individuals for mild to severe mental illness. It will be geriatric and general admission — depression as well as more intensive illnesses with psychosis, from altered states of mind to issues related to medication.”

GCP officials say the hospital will be the first of its kind in Baldwin and Mobile counties. It will complement the system of acute care services already provided by AltaPointe at its BayPointe Hospital and Children’s Residential Service. AltaPointe also partners with the Mobile Infirmary Medical Center to offer psychiatric services.

Riggins said, “We (BCMHC) provide mental health as well as substance abuse services for adolescents and children. That includes traditional outpatient services such as group therapy, psychiatric evaluations and medications. We also have intensive services, which include day treatment programs, outreach programs and residential treatment for adults with severe mental illness.”

It is not yet known what the future holds for the treatment facility currently occupying the building.

Riggins said, “We’ll begin the planning process immediately after approval of the CON. We already have an idea of what needs to happen with that facility to bring it up to standards. We’re still in discussions with The Shoulder at this point. I’m not sure what the outcome will be.”

AltaPointe purchased the building and land from the Alabama Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation. The Mobile-based behavioral health care organization will operate the new hospital, which will serve south Alabama residents.

The estimated project cost is $6 million, which includes the purchase price of the facility and renovation expenses.

Riggins said the BCMHC board realized over a year ago the need to partner with other providers to bring a higher level of care to Baldwin County communities. A cooperative effort including both mental and physical health care services is a model advocated by the American Hospital Association.

“This hospital is at the heart of a concept that comprises an extensive, integrated regional network of area health care providers and hospitals, law enforcement, criminal justice and educational institutions collaboratively addressing the community mental health needs as a whole,” Schlesinger stated. “It takes more than a hospital to treat a person with a serious mental illness. AltaPointe, Baldwin County Mental Health and Gulf Health Hospitals also provide the parts of the continuum of care required to support patients before and after they receive hospital care.”

The new hospital will be a direct affiliate of University of South Alabama (USA). Because of a long-standing relationship with the USA College of Medicine-Department of Psychiatry, AltaPointe provides USA residents, medical students and allied health professional students in the Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant programs with education and training at BayPointe. Nursing and CRNP students also train at BCMHC. At least 12 AltaPointe psychiatrists serve as faculty.

“It opens a number of doors,” Riggins said. “The number of people (with mental health issues) is growing, just like the county is growing. We usually attempt to seek hospitalization in Mobile, or sometimes Mississippi. With the new hospital, we can intervene on a quicker basis.”

Schlesinger added, “We believe our hospital plan is strong and will fill a service void in part because of the tremendous support for the CON application from Baldwin and Mobile counties’ legislative delegations, Baldwin County Commissioners, Mobile County Commissioners, the City of Mobile and many, many other officials and concerned individuals. We thank them all for showing their support, and for seeing the importance of our vision.”