Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, serving 13 counties in northwest Georgia with a population of nearly 1.8 million, reported a year of significant accomplishments and expansion in 2025. Key achievements include opening the Cobb Veterans Outpost in Marietta, a drop-in support center providing peer support, benefits assistance, job search help, and linkages to community resources. Highland Rivers is now the first Community Service Board in Georgia to create such a facility for Veterans. The Outpost began providing clinical services onsite this fall, including counseling with a licensed clinical social worker who is also a Veteran, nursing services, medication management, and telehealth.
Program Expansion and Training
Highland Rivers reopened Hartmann Center, now the only publicly funded residential treatment center for adolescent girls ages 13-17 in Georgia, accepting girls from anywhere in the state with no cost for services. In May, the agency launched the Highland Rivers Connect Training Institute, offering low-cost or no-cost trainings through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant on topics including suicide prevention, crisis intervention, mental health first aid, and understanding substance use, plus continuing education for professionals.
Community Response and Diversion Services
Highland Rivers expanded co-response programs in partnership with local law enforcement, pairing uniformed officers with licensed clinicians to respond to behavioral health crises. During 2025, the agency added a second co-response team with Cobb County Police and new teams with cities of Marietta and Canton, in addition to established programs with Sheriff’s Offices in Cherokee, Catoosa, and Pickens counties. The agency diverted nearly 1,500 individuals from hospital emergency departments to more appropriate care through ED diversion partnerships. Highland Rivers also operates Recovery-to-Work grants and partners with local employers, while the Highland Rivers Foundation launched a capital campaign for the Mothers Making a Change program.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://cobbcountycourier.com/2025/12/we-stay-busy-at-highland-rivers-behavioral-health-2025-year-in-review/