A significant step forward in youth mental health care is coming to Calgary as construction progresses on a new facility that will provide specialized treatment for 81 young people facing complex mental health challenges.
Addressing Critical Mental Health Needs
The new center, operated by the charitable non-profit Child and Adolescent Services Association (CASA), is scheduled to open in 2027 and represents a major response to the growing mental health crisis affecting Alberta's youth. The facility will accommodate 57 residential patients while providing day treatment programs for an additional 24 adolescents struggling with conditions including depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar disorder.
According to CASA CEO Bonnie Blakley, the project addresses an urgent need in the community. "Alberta is seeing an increasing severity and need for mental health services closer to home for patients and families," Blakley emphasized, highlighting the compounding factors affecting youth mental health today.
Location and Construction Timeline
The facility will be situated on a 3.81-acre site within The District in Stoney industrial business park, specifically at the southwest corner of 11th Street and 110th Avenue N.E. This strategic location will make the center accessible to families across the Calgary region.
Project development has already reached significant milestones, with the facility design completed and land acquisition finalized in early 2025. Construction is set to begin in fall 2026 under the leadership of Clark Builders, with an anticipated completion timeline of approximately one year.
Funding and Government Support
The project benefits from substantial provincial backing, including a $75-million investment by the Alberta government earmarked for three new mental health facilities in Calgary, Fort McMurray, and Medicine Hat. This funding commitment reflects the government's recognition of the critical need for expanded youth mental health services across the province.
Alberta's Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Rick Wilson, expressed strong support for the initiative in an official statement. "Alberta's government is making record investments into youth mental health," Wilson wrote. "We are pleased to partner with CASA Mental Health to bring vital, trauma-informed care closer to home for children, teens, and families through a new CASA House facility in Calgary."
The new facility will support long-term programming for youth requiring intensive mental health intervention, building upon CASA's existing school-based services that provide individual therapy, group therapy, and psychiatric care to younger students with complex needs.
Blakley noted that children typically referred to CASA's classroom services have already interacted with the healthcare system and require a higher level of care than what primary physicians or brief therapeutic interventions can provide. The new facility will significantly expand capacity to meet this growing demand for specialized youth mental health treatment in Alberta.
