Miami-Dade's New $50M Mental Health Facility Remains Closed

The long-awaited center is ready to open but faces funding questions from county commissioners.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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A new $50 million mental health and recovery center in Miami-Dade County, Florida, has been completed and is ready to open, but it remains closed due to ongoing funding questions from some county commissioners. The facility was voter-requested and 20 years in the making, with the intent to finally stop the county's jail from also serving as a psychiatric ward.

Why it matters

The new center is seen as a critical step in addressing Miami-Dade's longstanding mental health crisis, which has resulted in thousands of people with mental illness ending up in the county's jail system at a significant cost to taxpayers. Opening the facility could help divert these individuals to proper mental health treatment and recovery services.

The details

Over the last 5 years, Miami-Dade County has identified 16,400 people with mental illness who have spent a total of 1.2 million days in the county jail at a cost of $414 million to taxpayers. The new mental health and recovery center was designed to provide these individuals with the treatment and services they need, rather than incarceration. However, the opening of the facility has been hampered by questions from some county commissioners about long-term funding, despite the availability of federal grants and opioid settlement money to cover the initial 2-year pilot program.

  • The new mental health and recovery center was voter-requested and 20 years in the making.
  • Over the last 5 years, the 16,400 people with mental illness have spent 1.2 million days in the county jail at a cost of $414 million.

The players

Judge Steve Leifman

Presides over the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery.

Miami-Dade County Commissioners

The 13 county commissioners who have raised questions about long-term funding for the new mental health facility, despite the availability of federal grants and opioid settlement money to cover the initial 2-year pilot program.

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What they’re saying

“It really shouldn't be that difficult to do something so good.”

— Judge Steve Leifman (local10.com)

What’s next

The county commissioners are expected to make a decision on the long-term funding for the mental health facility in the coming weeks, which will determine when the center can finally open its doors.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges in addressing mental health crises in communities, even when funding and resources are available, as local officials grapple with questions of long-term sustainability. The opening of this new facility could set an important precedent for how other counties approach mental health treatment and diversion from the criminal justice system.