NY students talk about helping others with mental health issues
A group of high school students helps peers cope with mental health issues.
Oklahoma’s mental health agency has purchased a vacant hospital in south OKC that will replace Norman’s Griffin Memorial Hospital, which is one of Oklahoma’s inpatient hospitals for mental health services and has been in use for more than a century.
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will spend $18.5 million to purchase the property and another $41.5 million for upgrades and renovations.
ODMHSAS will renovate the former SSM Health hospital at SW 59 and Penn in phases. The agency expects the first 32 inpatient mental health beds to be available for use by the end of December as operations in Norman begin to wind down. Norman city officials haven’t yet decided what to do with the property once the ODMHSAS moves out.
Overall, the new OKC facility will replace at least 120 beds that are currently in use at Griffin. It will be a “modern, centrally located facility, improving access to care and streamlining operations,” according to an ODMHSAS press release.
“When I looked at the agency’s budget, it was clear I needed to resolve this longstanding funding issue without creating new costs for taxpayers,” said Interim Mental Health Commissioner Greg Slavonic. “Now we have a clear path forward for relocating beds from Griffin Memorial Hospital that will reduce operational challenges and expand access to behavioral health care for Oklahomans.”
Money for purchase came from federal COVID funding
The money, $60 million in total, comes from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds originally set aside for the construction of the Donahue Behavioral Health Hospital. Costs to build the brand-new hospital ballooned past $130 million, leaving state officials little choice but to change course and focus on renovating instead of building something new.
The plan for Donahue would have created 330 beds serving both adults and children. While the exact number of beds planned for the new south OKC facility isn’t yet known, ODMHSAS spokeswoman Maria Chaverri said the plan is to expand on the number of beds currently available at Griffin. Initially, the new hospital will only serve adults.