BATON ROUGE - As organizations across the nation take steps to fight the opioid addiction crisis and promote mental health awareness, two Baton Rouge institutions are leading efforts on a local level. 

The Bridge Center for Hope and Capital Area Human Services are meeting with the public, Thursday, Jan. 9 to provide an overview of the new Bridge Center's services.

The meeting will highlight a program called 'Crisis Now,' which is a new approach to suicide prevention and in assisting people who find themselves in 'high distress situations.' 

The Bridge Center is an independent nonprofit that's slated to open in early 2020 with a Mobile Crisis Services for adults 18 and older. 

The organization plans to treat as many as 5,000 individuals annually. Services will include crisis intervention, behavioral health respite, detoxification and ongoing case management.

Thursday's public forum will take place in building 2, Room 200 of The Capital Area Human Services Administration Offices (4615 Government Street) from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

Additional details on the new center can be found by clicking here.