Peninsula Behavioral Health announces the opening of the Clallam County Respite Center in December.

The need for a crisis stabilization program in Clallam County has significantly grown over the past few years, program officials say, becasue of a shortage of psychiatric hospital beds in Washington.

The six-bed Respite Center will assist residents experiencing a psychiatric crisis who need immediate local care.

Residents have had to be hospitalized as far away as Bellingham and Longview, and more than 36 percent of those served have had to be held for days at a time at Olympic Medical Center because available psychiatric beds could not be found.

Providing local crisis care will reduce the cost of expensive inpatient treatment for many residents, officials said, as well as alleviate pressure on families, the OMC emergency room, Port Angeles and Sequim Police departments and Clallam County jail.

The project is led by Peninsula Behavioral Health and its executive director Peter Casey. Fundraising efforts and collaborations included Clallam County, Olympic Medical Center and the Washington Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, totaling more than $400,000.

Located in the former St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store building, the community is invited to an open house from 3-5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, to celebrate the program.