When the Orange County Commissioners meet for their first meeting of the new year on August 25, they will receive a recommendation from the county’s Crisis Diversion Facility Sub-Committee to name the new Crisis Diversion Center after Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford. Commissioner Bedford died unexpectedly on June 21. Her memorial service is scheduled for tomorrow, August 22.
Naming the facility after Commissioner Bedford, “…would provide a lasting tribute to a public servant whose leadership and compassion made the project possible. It would also recognize the personal experiences that shaped her dedication to supporting vulnerable populations, including her lifelong advocacy for individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs. Few memorials could more appropriately reflect her legacy than a facility dedicated to dignity, hope, and healing.”
The County’s Naming Policy requires the County Manager to recommend names for public buildings, facilities and/or land to the BOCC for consideration at a regularly scheduled public meeting. This item on next week’s consent agenda serves as that report and recommends that the new Crisis Diversion Facility be named the “Jamezetta Bedford Crisis Care Center.”
If the consent item is adopted, the commissioners will vote on the recommendation at their September 1, 2026.
If you would like to endorse this recommendation, please send your support for naming the new facility to ocbocc@orangecountync.gov before their meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 7:00 pm. They will be meeting at the Southern Human Services Center at 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.
About the Crisis Diversion Center
Planning for an Orange County Crisis Diversion Center began in 2019 with the goal of diverting individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis from local emergency rooms and/or the criminal justice center. The facility will serve individuals “ages 4 years and older and a 16-bed Facility Based Crisis (FBC) unit to serve adults 18 and older in need of longer stabilization. The facility will also house a community peer living room, integrated discharge services and a behavioral health resources hub.” A construction bid for the facility was approved by the commissioners in June 2026. Construction completion is anticipated in winter 2028 and operations are expected to start in spring 2028.
The new facility will offer:
Clinical Services including observation, assessment, stabilization, treatment for a broad array of mental health and substance use conditions.
Criminal Justice Diversion/Deflection Services to minimize criminal justice entanglement.
Community Treatment Services Networking, including peer support and information resources connecting individuals to community treatment services on an outpatient basis or to other facility-based services.
Social Services Networking to provide a coordinated discharge with community resources and social services.
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