Whoever doesn’t believe that Southeast Idaho is mired in a mental health crisis just isn’t paying attention.

Drug abuse — specifically heroin and meth addiction — seems rampant in our communities along with the resulting overdoses.

The opioid epidemic has taken as much of a toll on Southeast Idaho as it has anywhere and we all seem to know someone who’s become addicted and/or died because of prescription painkillers.

Idaho has always been one of the nation’s leaders in suicides per capita, but this year has proven to be particularly bad for our part of the state. In Bannock County during April, for example, there were eight suicides in just that one month. That’s two to three times the average number of monthly suicide deaths for the county.

This year’s suicide deaths in Southeast Idaho have involved people of nearly all ages, with one victim being only 14 years old.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office reports that on average its deputies respond to one suicide attempt per day and lately those attempts have had a higher death rate than normal. Our emergency services personnel respond to even more daily drug overdose incidents in Southeast Idaho, and every day Pocatello police arrest people on drug offenses.

Our local law enforcement officers don’t wonder if they’re going to have to deal with mentally ill individuals during a typical work shift but rather how many of those people are they going to have to keep from hurting themselves and others.

Those who attempt or commit suicide have severe mental health issues. Likewise, people who use and become addicted to illegal drugs or prescription painkillers are often dealing with mental demons that left untreated will lead to tragedy.

In Southeast Idaho, there have been many well-documented cases of people in mental health crises trying to kill others — including local law enforcement officers. Not to be too alarmist, but those deranged souls who have committed mass shootings across our nation at schools, malls, movie theaters and churches have pretty much all suffered from serious mental illness.

It’s also well-documented that individuals hooked on drugs will commit crimes — thefts specifically — to feed their habit. They try to sell what they steal to pay for their drugs.

That happens in Southeast Idaho and nationwide.

Then there is the havoc wrought on Southeast Idaho families by our region’s largely unchecked mental health troubles.

We cover the news in Southeast Idaho and can say without a doubt that our communities not only have an abundance of mentally ill and drug addicted individuals, but we as a region sadly haven’t been able to make anything resembling headway in remedying the situation.

All that being said, we’re very happy to point out that positive change is on the horizon.

Thanks to the efforts of state and Bannock County officials pushing for a cure to Southeast Idaho’s mental health woes, a crisis center to help those suffering from serious mental illness will open in Pocatello by Jan. 1, 2019.

We deeply appreciate the fact that Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and the Idaho Legislature have devoted more than $3 million in state funds to help pay for the facility. The Portneuf Health Trust is also contributing funds.

The center’s exact location in Pocatello has not yet been finalized but it will serve all of Southeast Idaho.

Assisting with the administration and operation of the facility will be the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Behavioral Health, Portneuf Medical Center, Pocatello Free Clinic and Health West.

The opening of the Pocatello crisis center is not some random attempt to help alleviate the region’s mental health and drug addiction epidemics.

The state opened its first crisis center in Coeur d’Alene more than two years ago. Other centers have since opened in Idaho Falls, Twin Falls and Boise. The centers provide those requiring mental health services with a much needed safe harbor. The facilities are staffed by mental health professionals and those in need of help can stay until they’re feeling well enough to leave.

The existing centers have proven to be effective at saving lives and helping those needing mental health treatment before those individuals end up in hospital emergency rooms, jail or worse.

In addition to Pocatello, crisis centers are also coming to Nampa, Caldwell and Lewiston.

Those who’ve made the Pocatello crisis center a reality deserve something more than simple praise and a pat on the back.

The center to be located in the Gate City will keep lives from being destroyed and turn individuals who’ve been a burden on society into assets to our communities. You quite simply can’t put a price tag on that.

As far as helping those among us who need it most, the center will be a game-changer.

It cannot open soon enough.