PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and the City of Philadelphia are proud to announce the grand opening of the Kensington Wellness Support Center (KWSC), the gateway for many individuals to the City’s expanding Wellness ecosystem journey culminating in housing at the Riverview Wellness Village, including a brand-new Neighborhood Wellness Courtroom. The need for co-located social and behavioral services as well as same-day treatment and adjudication for minor drug offenses as an entry point to treatment was identified by the City’s Office of Public Safety, with input from many of Philadelphia’s leaders in healthcare management, addiction services, behavioral health and medical care.
“From the moment I was sworn in as Philadelphia’s 100th Mayor, I have been committed to addressing the complex and interconnected challenges facing our communities, with public safety and wellness at the top of the list,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “Today is another step on that journey, coming a little over a year after we celebrated the opening of the Riverview Wellness Village, and we are continuing to deliver on our promise to take bold, decisive action. This Wellness Support Center property represents our best effort to bring all necessary services into one centralized hub and give individuals struggling with numerous challenges the best possible chance to start their journey back to wellness and recovery.”
Established in January 2025 by Executive Order No.1-25, Neighborhood Wellness Court (NWC) is an innovative pilot program focused on same-day diversion for individuals who have been arrested for minor drug-related offenses. The program is located within the community it aims to serve and was designed by the Office of Public Safety in collaboration with the First Judicial District and the Philadelphia Police Department.
Neighborhood Wellness Court provides essential support and resources for individuals post-arrest. Alongside advocates and specialists at the Kensington Wellness Support Center (KWSC), located at the intersection of B Street and Lehigh Avenue, the initiative plays a pivotal role in Mayor Parker’s health and wellness continuum in Philadelphia.
“The Kensington Wellness Support Center is now a 24/7/365 multi-disciplinary hub, with more resources, services and spaces coming online every day,” said Chief Public Safety Director Adam N. Geer. “It is home to Neighborhood Wellness Court, Police Assisted Diversion (PAD), civilian mobile outreach teams, and walk-in service programs. In 2025, roughly 5,000 people were engaged by the KWSC, about half of whom were directly connected to services. Overall, 3 out of every 4 individuals arrested by police and brought to NWC, and 4 out of 5 PAD arrests, ultimately result in a connection to services in this building – and meanwhile the city jail population also maintains historic lows. This is a testament to our refusal to give up on anyone and any neighborhood.”
Participants have access to immediate pre-court medical care from professionals specializing in substance use disorder (SUD) at the KWSC. Additionally, individuals can undergo a needs assessment for housing, legal assistance, behavioral health services, and more, before appearing before a judge on the same day, now in the same facility. They also have the option to enter a diversion and treatment program.
“The opening of the Wellness Center represents a meaningful investment in people, in healing, and in the future of our communities. The Center stands as a visible reminder that when we come together across systems and disciplines, we can create pathways to stability, dignity, and hope for individuals who need support the most,” said The Honorable Joffie C. Pittman III, Administrative Judge, Philadelphia Municipal Court, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania.
“The opening of the Kensington Wellness Support Center is significant because it ties together wellness services and care in one place,” said Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, 7th District. “I commend Mayor Parker for her leadership and commitment to Kensington. These new efforts provide more options, more coordination, and more support. This work has to support people on the path to recovery while also bringing safety and stability to the surrounding neighborhood. Kensington needed a coordinated plan, and that is what we have been building with many partners. These are hopeful and tangible steps. The crisis is far from over, but the City is moving from an unmanaged crisis to a coordinated response. This work has to continue.”
Partner departments and agencies providing expertise and services within the KWSC and NWC, contributing to the success of the initiative, include the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), Merakey, Penn Medicine’s Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy, the Office of Homeless Services (OHS), the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Community Legal Services, the District Attorney’s Office (DAO), the Salvation Army’s newly established “Day to End Human Trafficking” division, and the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO).
“Public safety is strongest when it is paired with resources, support, and pathways to wellness. The Kensington Wellness Support Center demonstrates our shared commitment to improving quality of life, strengthening neighborhoods, and creating lasting change for the residents of Kensington,” said Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Pedro Rosario, Kensington District.
“Merakey is proud to partner with the City of Philadelphia in support of Mayor Parker’s vision to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable individuals in our community while creating pathways to recovery, stability, and long-term health and wellness. This approach has shown to remove barriers and streamline access to critical services for individuals who have historically faced significant challenges navigating healthcare and treatment systems. As part of a coordinated system of care, we are bringing healthcare, behavioral health services, case management, and essential supports together in one place, we are reducing delays and increasing opportunities for meaningful engagement. At Merakey, our philosophy is simple: we meet people where they are, but we do not leave them there. Together with our partners, we are building a more accessible, responsive, and compassionate system—one that helps individuals move from crisis to care, from instability to opportunity, and from addiction to recovery,” said Joe Martz, CEO, Merakey.
Key onsite features include:
- Comprehensive Wellness Services: Primary healthcare screening and referrals to hospital-based treatment when required, connections to substance use disorder services including rapid onsite methadone induction (a gold standard in treatment practice), and mental and behavioral health support delivered in collaboration with partners like Merakey and Penn Medicine.
- Legal Support: Criminal legal aid from the Defender’s Association of Philadelphia provided to all individuals participating in NWC, as well as other legal counseling through Community Legal Services for issues like public benefits, housing, and record sealing/expungement. A large feature of the criminal practice which members of the community have begun to proactively seek-out is assistance with outstanding warrant clearance, both in and out of county.
- Social Services: The Office of Homeless Services will open a new homeless services hub on the upper level of the facility in just a few weeks for housing assessments and placement. Other services include human trafficking support, veteran services, and all visitors have access to food, clothing and a shower.
- Seasonal Safety and Engagement: During code red and blue emergencies, the facility hosts cooling and warming centers. Staff also lead community engagement efforts including events like block parties, bingo nights for seniors, and community resource fairs.
Quotes provided by major stakeholders and partners about KWSC and NWC:
“We can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. I applaud Mayor Parker and her team for their willingness to innovate and their compassion for people experiencing addiction and mental illness,” said Keith Humphreys, Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University and Former White House Senior Drug Policy Advisor, Obama Administration.
“The Kensington Wellness Support Center takes a radical hospitality approach to pre-booking diversion and to the response to minor crime. The access it provides to services and resources is invaluable. But its most revolutionary feature is the effort by the people working there to continuously experiment with creating as welcoming a setting as possible. Access to a warm shower, good food, a comfortable place to rest, smiling faces on respectful staff; that is the real secret sauce of the program,” said Evan Anderson, JD, PhD, Associate Professor, Public Health College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University.
“As one of the leading organizations in Philadelphia providing a comprehensive continuum of services focused entirely on human trafficking through our New Day to Stop Trafficking program, we understand how closely trafficking is connected to challenges such as homelessness, trauma, substance use, and economic instability,” said Captain Benjamin Lyle, Area Commander of The Salvation Army in Greater Philadelphia. “This model creates more opportunities to identify those needs, coordinate support and connect people to services that can help them move toward safety, stability, and long-term self-sufficiency. We are proud to stand alongside the City and our community partners in this effort.”