History

The organization now known as Apalachee Center is first organized in Leon County as the Institute of Human Relations and is located in offices provided by the Leon County Board of County Commissioners.

The first full-time administrator is hired for the Institute of Human Relations.

The Institute of Human Relations becomes commonly known as the Leon County Mental Health Clinic.

A group of Tallahassee civic leaders incorporated the clinic as the Leon County Mental Health Center, a non-profit community agency governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

With federal funding, the Leon County Mental Health Center began to expand services to Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla Counties. The Center’s name was officially changed to Apalachee Community Mental Health Services to better reflect the organization’s mission to serve all eight counties. The name honors the Apalachee Native American tribe that once inhabited the area.

Apalachee Center continues to expand and opens one of the first crisis stabilization units (CSU) in Florida.

Apalachee Center’s commitment to providing quality care and treatment leads to the voluntary pursuit of accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. Agency-wide accreditation was received in March of 1981 and has been continually maintained since.

Apalachee Center opens a 24-bed freestanding psychiatric hospital (Eastside Psychiatric Hospital), a chemical dependency Detoxification unit, a variety of residential programs, and expands the availability of outpatient and community-based services across eight counties. This expansion includes the construction of dedicated outpatient facilities in the major population seats of each of Apalachee’s eight counties.

Apalachee Center opens the first residential forensic units in Florida – helping to alleviate the forensic bed crisis across the state.

Apalachee Center partners with Bond Community Health Center to create the Bond Apalachee Wellness Integration Center, the first partnership of its kind in Florida.

Apalachee Center opens its new state-of-the-art inpatient psychiatric complex on Tallahassee’s Capital Circle, including an expanded 46-bed Eastside Psychiatric Hospital, brand new facilities for Detox, Evaluation and Admission, Crisis Stabilization Unit and new administrative facilities.

Apalachee CEO, Dr. Jay Reeve is honored with the National Council for Community Mental Health’s Visionary Leadership award for his efforts in promoting integrated physical and behavioral healthcare.

Apalachee Center launches a new private outpatient clinic – Capital Therapy.

Apalachee Center opens a civil residential program, Transition Home; which serves as a step-down program for individuals being discharged from Florida State Hospital.