DeKalb County opens day center offering wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness

DeKalb County officials and community partners announced the opening of the DeKalb Day Center at a press conference this morning, calling the facility a coordinated effort to provide immediate needs and long-term pathways out of homelessness. Lorraine Cochran Johnson, CEO, said the county invested to create a place that will offer meals, showers, clothing, counseling and case management.

“The goal is not simply to respond to immediate needs, but to meet the long‑term needs of individuals ... to rebuild their lives,” said Lorraine Cochran Johnson, who described the project as a county ‘‘hand up, not a handout.’’ She thanked the Board of Commissioners and described the county’s investment in the center as a significant local commitment.

Why it matters: County officials and partners framed the center as part of a larger continuum of care that includes a 400‑bed shelter opened last year, a 60‑unit rapid‑rehousing facility and links to workforce development. Commissioner Nicole Messiah (District 3) said the center will connect people to case management, behavioral‑health services, job training and transportation; she recounted a constituent’s experience to underscore local demand for stable options.

Services and partners: Dr. Alan Ferguson, DeKalb County’s chief housing officer, credited rapid collaboration among county departments and nonprofit partners such as New Life Community Alliance and Claritel Behavioral Health. Alan Mitchell, director of community development, said the center was developed with community development staff, New Life and Claritel and that printed flyers available at the site list operational details and transit directions.

Claritel Behavioral Health said it will provide on‑site trained case managers, a telehealth booth for therapy or psychiatry visits, and coordinate transport to nearby Claritel facilities where pharmacy and residential substance‑use treatment are available. A Claritel representative described the organization as the county’s community services board and cited elevated behavioral‑health risks among people experiencing homelessness.

Officials said each person entering the center will be assessed and offered a tailored plan that combines case management, behavioral‑health support and employment services through WorkSource DeKalb County. The panel described wraparound components including dignity services such as a barber, clothing and other on‑site supports intended to help people engage in training and services.

Transport and hours: Alan Mitchell said a FastTrack funding arrangement runs four routes that terminate at the site, and that a MARTA pickup stop is nearby. He noted the flyer distributed at the event lists which buses to take; hours of operation were not specified on the public record in this transcript and will be included in the forthcoming county press release.

Numbers mentioned on the record: speakers referenced a county 2024 study claiming a minimum‑wage worker in metro Atlanta would need roughly 140 hours per week to afford a two‑bedroom unit; Alan Mitchell said about 30% of individuals expected to use the center have behavioral‑health needs; Claritel recited risk multipliers for the unhoused population (for example, higher rates of serious mental illness and emergency‑department reliance). These figures were presented by speakers at the event as context for the center’s services.

Next steps: The county said it will monitor the program over the coming months and adjust operations as needed; a press release with additional information will be issued following the event. The press conference concluded with a request that reporters consult the flyer and the county release for operational details.