OKLAHOMA CITY — The Donohue Center, set to be Oklahoma’s largest mental health facility, is facing a significant financial hurdle. Despite breaking ground earlier this year on the Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City (OSU-OKC) campus, the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OSDMHSAS) has revealed that it is short $125 million to complete the project.
The funding gap has delayed the opening of more than 200 new mental health beds in the state, which were originally expected to be operational by late 2026. State Senator Chuck Hall, chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, expressed concern over the delay. “We had hoped these new beds were going to come online as soon as late 2026,” Hall said.
The initial estimated cost for the project was $150 million, but the state now finds itself seeking an additional $125 million to cover rising costs. Hall noted that inflation is a contributing factor, along with several unforeseen issues that have emerged during the construction process. “Former leaders of the OSDMHSAS didn’t include some costs in the initial bids in 2022,” he explained, highlighting that critical items such as furniture, fixtures, and equipment were omitted from the initial funding request.
Another significant cause of the budget shortfall are design flaws discovered after construction began. Hall pointed out that some patient bathrooms, originally planned to be located in hallways, will now need to be relocated into patient rooms. Additionally, the property value of the Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman, which was expected to offset some costs, has come in $40 million lower than anticipated, further complicating the funding situation.
“As you look at the mental health crisis we have in Oklahoma, I think the entire legislature and I can speak for myself, we need to do all we can for this population,” Hall said, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the mental health needs in the state.
The Oklahoma legislature will decide whether to approve the additional funds when the new legislative session begins in February. If the gap is not filled, the completion date for the Donohue Center could be delayed as late as the fall of 2028.
The Donohue Center represents a crucial expansion of mental health services in Oklahoma, a state that has faced rising demands for care due to its growing mental health crisis. The facility’s completion is seen as an essential step toward addressing the state’s shortage of inpatient beds and ensuring that more individuals in need of mental health care can access treatment.
Related topics:
