MOULTRIE, Ga. – The expansion of mental health services in Moultrie is coming soon as Georgia Pines moves forward with facility renovations.

The City of Moultrie purchased the former Southwest Georgia Bank building after receiving a $700,000 grant  from the state last year. The money also helped pay for renovations that brought the building up to current building codes.

The city will lease the building to Georgia Pines, the state-contracted mental health provider for the region, for $1 per year, City Manager Pete Dillard said in a phone interview Thursday.

Georgia Pines officially received the keys to the building a month-and-a-half ago, according to Robert Hurn, the CEO of Georgia Pines, but the agency has more work to do on it.

“The city and the county have been nothing but helpful with getting the facility up and running,” Hurn said in a phone interview Wednesday.

For Georgia Pines’ use, though, the building must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). 

One part of the renovation project will be constructing an ADA-approved bathroom with wheelchair accessibility. This task is one of the main requirements before moving to the new location.

Another part will be changing offices to ensure the privacy required by HIPAA. 

“Two out of three of the offices do not have a ceiling, so there’s no privacy within the two offices,” Hurn said.

To create a HIPPA-compliant space, they will ensure privacy by lowering the ceiling. 

New air conditioning units will be installed as well.

Georgia Pines currently offers services that focus on addictive disease, mental health, developmental disabilities, inpatient and residential programs, child and adolescents, advocacy and other specialty services.

Hurn said Georgia Pines plans to open a couple of walls to create more space to allow more services.

 Georgia Pines looks forward to expanding its Medication Assisted Treatment Program. The program uses medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, which are effective in the treatment of opioid use disorders and can help some people to sustain recovery, according to the Georgia Pines website.

The program is in partnership with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. 

Before the next phase of renovations can start, Hurn must receive at least three bids for the work. He has had three contractors look at the building and has received one bid so far.

He said the last contractor viewed the building approximately two weeks ago. The contractors also told him it is hard to obtain materials right now.

Until Hurn receives the bids, there is no estimated date for the new facility to open.

The current facility is still open and running at 615 N. Main St. in Moultrie. 

For more information about Georgia Pines, please contact their office at (229) 891-7375.