Every few years, St. Luke’s University Health Network assesses what type of heath care the community needs most.

“The last couple of times we’ve done that, mental health services were ranked either number one or number two in terms of most important needs in the St. Luke’s community,” said Wayne Mugrauer, president of St. Luke’s Penn Foundation.

To serve those needs, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation built a new outpatient facility to serve the mental health needs of folks in Schuylkill, Carbon and Luzerne counties.

The Tamaqua office at 602 Pine St. was officially opened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by St. Luke’s officials, employees, elected officials and community members.

The clinic saw its first patients June 9 and offers counseling, medication management and other outpatient mental health services. It is staffed by seven clinicians, including a doctor, a therapist, an advanced practitioner and rural psychiatric residents.

“We’re going to have wonderful, accessible mental health services here that are really focused on the community, and meeting needs of the community,” Mugrauer said.

He thanked the community for its support.

“This is a beautiful building,” Mugrauer said. “What’s going to be really special is not how beautiful the building is, but the wonderful and incredible work that happens inside the building.”

Dr. James James, chairman of psychiatry for St. Luke’s, was on hand for the March 2024 groundbreaking.

“I must say that having that vision and seeing it now — this beautiful building beside us — is remarkable,” he said.

James said that access to mental health care in rural communities can be very challenging.

“Which is why we are excited to bring to you those services, from this location, in this building,” he said.

James added that it is also an opportunity for St. Luke’s rural psychiatry residents to deliver counseling and other services from the site.

Diana Laquinta, president of St. Luke’s Miners campus in Coaldale, said the facility is much-needed.

“This site is yet another example of St. Luke’s commitment to increasing access and quality of care for all residents in our community,” she said.

The 3,000-square-foot facility is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

It is the sixth St. Luke’s Penn Foundation Psychiatric Associates office, with others located in Allentown, Bethlehem Lehighton and Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

According to St. Luke’s Health Network, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation is the largest fully integrated network of mental health and addiction treatment services in eastern Pennsylvania.

“With 35 inpatient and outpatient programs at more than 15 locations, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation is a place of hope, recovery and wellness,” the network said.