24-Hour Mental Health Facility Opens in Prince George’s
The Dyer Care Center, a new 24-hour mental health facility has opened on Piscataway Road in Clinton, Maryland and plans to address Prince George’s County’s growing needs for mental health services, an issue that has only become more important in past years.
The center, made possible by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission’s funding, will provide services for adults experiencing behavioral health episodes and offer immediate stabilization. The behavioral health nonprofit RI International will operate the facility.
“I learned during my time as a prosecutor that more than 17% of the people that we arrest on any given day and take to our local departments of correction are intoxicated when they arrive, and over a third of all of the people that we arrest on any given day and take to the local Department of Correction are on psychotropic medications when they arrive,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “The most important thing we can do is to invest in the people in our county. Now it hasn’t been easy to do, but I am so delighted to be here today for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a very important facility that will lead the way on mental health.”
For more information on the Dyer Care Center, visit dyercarecenter.org.
Animal Shelter Offers Free Pet Parenting Classes, Spaying and Neutering Services
The Prince George’s County Animal Services Facility and Adoption Center announced they reached critical dog capacity and planned to waive adoption fees.
On Aug. 6, the center reported taking in 200 animals in the preceding week, including 53 removed from homes for safety reasons.
Many of the dogs at the shelter are pit bulls, which can’t be adopted by Prince George’s residents.
Further, a new illness has afflicted the center and testing is underway to determine the illness and the risk of cross-species disease spread. All dogs that are adopted will be given long-acting medication prior to their adoption.
“We are going for the ‘gold’ and we plan to cross the finish line in first place by adopting out 300 animals in the month of August,” said Department of the Environment Director Andrea Crooms. “The ‘Maryland 3,000’ adoption challenge allows us to waive the adoption fees to help us achieve victory and find safe and loving homes for adoptable pets.”
They are offering qualifying residents free spaying and neutering services.
Pet parenting workshops will be held on the first Saturday of each month, with the next workshop on Sep. 7 at the Brown Station pet adoption center location.
To view the list of available pets for adoption, go here.