Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa will break ground this week on a new access center, a 7,400-square-foot facility that will offer a unique opportunity to provide behavioral health services to south-central Iowans experiencing mental health or substance use crises. The concept of access centers, considered a best practice for people with acute behavioral health issues, was included in legislation signed in 2018 by Gov. Kim Reynolds to address behavioral health care shortages in Iowa. The goal is to divert individuals from accessing behavioral health services at more expensive, short-term locations such as emergency rooms or law centers. The facility will also provide a model that integrates access center services with primary care, pharmaceuticals, dental care and other services as needed and requested by patients. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. at 219 Washington St. in Osceola.