DOUGLAS COUNTY- A study released by a consultant this week finds that new mental health facilities for Douglas County should include space for inpatient treatment of 76 people who are in jail plus 20 more beds for other people from the community.

The price tag for the mental health facilities could cost upwards of $50 million to construct according to the study.

The study found that Douglas County has two options to address the needs. One option is a combined mental health facility, with a secure area for jail inmates and an unsecured portion for people from the general public. The other option is two separate, stand-alone facilities: one for the Community Mental Health Center, and one for the Corrections Department.

Potential homes for these facilities were not mentioned but Douglas County Board members have discussed spaces in the past. It is possible that the building will take place near the county jail in downtown Omaha, or near the Douglas County Health Center near 42nd Street and Woolworth Avenue.

It is estimated that if one combined building is built, the price tag is between $44-$48 million. If separate buildings are built, the project could cost a total of $53-$59 million.

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