The DuPage County Crisis Recovery Center has completed more than 2,200 crisis assessments in its first year of operation, keeping 97% of visitors out of the hospital.

The $25.8 million facility at 115 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton opened Sept. 2, 2025, and operates around the clock. It accepts walk-ins regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. For Hinsdale families facing a mental health or substance use crisis, the center is about a 20-minute drive west on Ogden Avenue.

Of the 2,200-plus assessments, 386 involved youth, according to a DuPage County anniversary announcement published Sept. 8. The milestone falls during Suicide Prevention Month and on 9-8-8 Day, a national observance tied to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Adam Forker, executive director of the DuPage County Health Department, said in the announcement that the center has become a place where people feel safe walking in. "Our team listens, supports, and helps people find a path forward," Forker said. "In just one year, the CRC is already making a meaningful difference for our community."

The majority of visitors walked in on their own or with a family member. Community providers and schools accounted for the next-largest share of referrals. In the center's first four months alone, staff made 745 onsite referrals, NCTV17 reported in January.

During that early stretch, 61% of referrals came from the person in crisis or a relative. Schools provided 9%, police and EMS 6%, and the 988 hotline 5%.

DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy, who championed the project through its planning stages, said the center is now part of a coordinated crisis system. That system includes the 988 line, the DuPage Crisis Hotline at (630) 627-1700, and mobile crisis response teams.

Lori Carnahan, deputy executive director of the DuPage County Health Department, pointed to the youth numbers at a Jan. 27 County Board meeting. She said the center is reaching a population that previously had fewer options. "Traditionally, we did not see youth coming on our site," Carnahan said at the time. "It's really great to see that they're realizing there is a new place to go and receive the treatment that they need."

Fundraising has also grown around the center. DuPage Health Matters, the health department's nonprofit arm, raised $535,405 in 2025 to support the facility. The 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club announced a separate $250,000 donation.

Hinsdale residents who need immediate help can walk into the Crisis Recovery Center in Wheaton at any hour, call 988, or reach the DuPage Crisis Hotline at (630) 627-1700.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.