The Crisis and Emergency Resource Center is reopening at Peabody Hall on Oct. 31.
On the fourth floor of Peabody, the center will be a home for a support program, alcohol and other drug services and a mind-and-body lab that will help students learn about stress management and relaxation, said Meggen Sixbey, the assistant director for UF’s Counseling and Wellness Center.
The center, which has been under renovation since August, had a budget of $167,000.
The space will continue to offer on-call counselors for students in need. It will also house a peer support program, which will focus on students working together to help their peers suffering from mental illness, she said.
“We’re the first college counseling center to have a program like this,” Sixbey said. “It’s a pretty big deal.”
Renovations couldn’t begin until the Reitz Union construction was complete, allowing temporary residents in Peabody to move back into the Reitz, she said. While construction made it slightly more difficult to receive service, it was manageable and worth the wait, she added.
“It’s going to be a fresh look, which is exciting,” she said.
Ernesto Escoto, the director of the CWC, said the October launch is a soft opening, but a grand opening will happen just before spring break.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” he said. “I think our students are going to love it.”
