Miami Archbishop Urges Action on Delayed Mental Health Facility

Archbishop Thomas Wenski warns lives are at stake as the building sits empty amid county commission delays.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 4:18pm

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Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski is pressing Miami-Dade County commissioners to approve a long-delayed mental health center that was first promised to voters in 2004. The facility, known as the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery, was designed to divert people with mental illnesses from the county jail and provide them with dedicated treatment. However, the seven-story, $50 million building has sat empty for over a year as commissioners have repeatedly delayed final approval, despite funding already being secured.

Why it matters

The delay in approving the mental health facility is troubling, as Archbishop Wenski criticizes the county for "warehousing" people with mental illnesses in jail instead of providing them with the treatment they need. Advocates argue the current system is not only inefficient but inhumane, as many individuals with mental health issues cycle repeatedly through the criminal justice system without access to proper care.

The details

The Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery was designed to include a crisis stabilization unit, residential treatment, transitional housing, outpatient services, and a courtroom. Two nonprofit organizations were selected to operate the facility and provide treatment. However, despite the building being renovated and funding secured, the project has stalled for over a year as Miami-Dade commissioners have repeatedly delayed final approval. Some commissioners have raised concerns about long-term funding, while a for-profit company has also submitted a competing proposal to take over the building.

  • The mental health facility was first promised to voters in 2004 as part of the Building Better Communities bond program.
  • Miami-Dade County spent over $50 million renovating the building at 2200 NW 7th Avenue.
  • Two years ago, a pair of nonprofit organizations were selected to operate the facility and provide treatment.
  • For more than a year, the building has sat empty as commissioners have repeatedly delayed final approval.

The players

Archbishop Thomas Wenski

The Archbishop of Miami who is pressing county commissioners to approve the long-delayed mental health facility, warning that lives are at stake as the building sits empty.

Judge Steve Leifman

The driving force behind the mental health center and Miami-Dade's jail diversion program, who has worked on mental health reform for over two decades.

Anthony Rodriguez

The Miami-Dade Commission Chairman who has so far declined to place the mental health facility item on the full commission agenda.

Recovery Solutions

A for-profit company that submitted a proposal last fall to take over the mental health facility building, proposing a model that would cost more and serve fewer people than the plan developed by Judge Leifman.

Vicki Lopez and Natalie Milian Orbis

The co-chairs of the Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee, which deferred the mental health facility proposal indefinitely.

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What they’re saying

“They've slowed it down for several years already, and it's time to cut bait and fish. It's time to approve it.”

— Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami

“This is not just an insane system, it is a cruel one.”

— Advocates

“If somebody has a heart attack walking down the street, they call an ambulance and take them to a hospital. But if you have a mental health crisis, they call the cops and take you to jail, which is not a very efficient way of treating a health crisis.”

— Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami

What’s next

The Miami-Dade Commission's Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee, co-chaired by Vicki Lopez and Natalie Milian Orbis, will need to reconsider the proposal for the mental health facility and move it forward to the full commission for a final vote.

The takeaway

The delayed approval of the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery highlights the urgent need to address the systemic issues in how Miami-Dade County handles individuals with mental health crises. Approving this facility could provide critical treatment and support, reducing the burden on the criminal justice system and restoring dignity for those in need.