Mike Wright
It was 2018 when Gene McGee, a lobbyist and Citrus County community leader, threw the locals for a loop when he suggested a shift in priorities.
Yes, the Suncoast Parkway and water restoration projects were important, he said. But they weren’t at a crisis stage.
No, where Citrus County truly lacked, he said, was in one vital area: treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse.
Citrus County had few direct services. There was no Baker Act facility, meaning the Sheriff’s Office transported Citrus County residents to psychiatric facilities in Leesburg and Ocala.
Once released from their 72-hour hold, there were few follow-up services, and none in Citrus County.
The county’s provider of mental health services, the Centers, said it was losing money and made no promises to Citrus County.
That didn’t sit well with McGee, who lost his brother to suicide and vowed to ensure services were available. Over the next six years, McGee rallied Citrus County’s political, business and health care community to place construction of a Baker Act facility.
Those dreams reached fruition this week when LifeStream Behavioral Services broke ground in Lecanto on a 48,000-square-foot Citrus County Behavioral Health Building.
“This is a huge step forward for our community,” McGee said.
Citrus and Hernando counties each pitched in $2 million, as did the state. LifeStream, which became Citrus County’s service provider in 2018, kicked in the remainder of the $12 million project.
The 60-bed facility will provide inpatient and outpatient treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse.
Hernando County is a partner because of its desire to have an inpatient adolescent facility close to home.
“Our parents and caregivers have to travel a long way today,” Hernando County Administrator Jeff Rogers said. “This is a great testament to when government gets it right.”
Citrus County Commission Chair Rebecca Bays said the county has “clear expectations” from LifeStream.
“This endeavor is monumental and filled with challenges,” she said.
McGee rattled off names he considers heroes in the yearslong battle, from Gerry Mulligan, the former Citrus County Chronicle publisher who encouraged his involvement in mental health following his brother’s suicide, to Debbie Selsavage, an advocate for dementia awareness.
McGee said discussions with Selsavage led LifeStream to receive state funding for a dementia pilot program.
He also praised former Rep. Ralph Massullo, whose eight years in office ended with term limits this year.
“He has fought like a barbarian in Tallahassee for this project,” McGee said. “His heart and soul are in this project.”
The Citrus County campus is expected to open in Spring 2026.
