Northwest Health – Porter is investing over $11 million to increase community access to behavioral health care.

The new behavioral health programs will be at Northwest Health – Portage and are expected to open in 2028.

Services will include 20 inpatient beds for adults 18 and older. The new service will include an intensive outpatient program providing crisis stabilization, therapy, medication management and care coordination. Inpatient treatment will be offered for conditions such as mood disorders, post-traumatic stress, psychosis and other co-occurring diagnoses. 

“We are committed to expanding services and improving the quality of care at Northwest Porter and this project is a meaningful investment for our hospital and the community,” said Dan Doherty, CEO, in a press release. “We recognize there are limited local behavioral health services and are developing this program so patients can receive timely, quality care close to home.”

According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit focusing on mental health policy and research, Indiana had 11.9 inpatient behavioral health beds per 100,000 residents in 2023 – below the recommended 40 to 60 beds.

Patients in crisis are often transferred to Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, South Bend or out of state. In many cases, the emergency room is the only source for care in a mental health crisis, even though it is not equipped for long-term support.

“Indiana, and our Region, continues to face a shortage of specialized behavioral health resources, and we aim to help fill that gap,” Doherty said.

By mid-2026, the hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation program will move from the Portage campus to the main hospital in Valparaiso. The inpatient rehabilitation service provides physical, occupational, speech therapy and nursing care for patients recovering from long hospital stays, stroke, orthopedic surgery and other conditions.

The new, larger space will grow the program from 14 beds to 17 and include additional amenities. Siting the rehabilitation unit at Northwest Health – Porter will improve clinical access for inpatients and facilitate the transition to post-acute care at discharge.

Construction work for the new inpatient rehabilitation program at the Porter campus is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. When the relocation is complete, work will start to create the new behavioral health facilities at Northwest Health – Portage.