By Heather McGinley/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
heather.mcginley@suffolknewsherald.com

SUFFOLK—Workers delivered boxes, water coolers, desks, chairs, filing cabinets and more to the Western Tidewater Community Services Board building on South Saratoga Street in Suffolk this week.

The organization was re-establishing departments returning to the building they left several months ago for extensive renovation work. The building was given a newer, more modern look, and a second story was added to create more room for additional departments and programs.

“It’s beautiful,” said Anita Morris, a resource development coordinator who has been with the WTCSB for 17 years. “To see the transformation that space has taken — it’s a great accomplishment.”

With two stories, the organization will be able to house new departments including child and family services and emergency medical services at the building, in addition to mental and health support, outpatient services and therapeutic day treatment that were already housed there.

The Western Tidewater Community Services Board serves children, people with mental health disorders, substance abuse issues and intellectual disabilities in Suffolk, Franklin and Isle of Wight and Southampton counties.

Since the demolition began, departments formally housed in the downtown building have been scattered across the city, but now they can begin the process of moving back and adding a few new departments to the mix.

“It’s the hope that movers will have all of the boxes and furniture in by today,” Morris said Monday.

She expects her department to be moved in and operational by Wednesday or at least by the end of the week. She believes that emergency medical services will be moving in by next month.

Once all departments have moved in, the organization plans to hold an open house event later in the spring.

“It will be a big plus to have emergency services and outpatient services and child services with case management in the heart of downtown,” Morris said.

Having the services in the same facility will allow for better and faster communication and dissemination of information, Morris said.

Emergency services will assist people enrolled in the WTCSB and people in the surrounding community in a crisis.

Having outpatient and emergency services in the building will also allow the organization to offer more services to people with substance abuse issues.

“That’s what it boils down to — continuity of care,” Morris said. “It’s almost one-stop shopping.”