THAT'S BEEN SERVING OKLAHOMANS FOR A CENTURY. WELL, THE DONAHUE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITAL WILL BE HERE ON OSU OAKS CAMPUS, REPLACING THE GRIFFIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL THAT'S CURRENTLY SITTING IN NORMAN. NOW, OFFICIALS SAY THAT THIS HOSPITAL WILL HAVE A BETTER, MORE CENTRAL LOCATION, HAVE MORE BEDS, AND WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE BOTH ADULTS AND CHILDREN. NOW, TODAY'S GROUNDBREAKING WASN'T YOUR TYPICAL GROUNDBREAKING, AS OFFICIALS SHOVELED CONFETTI IN CELEBRATION OF THE NEW HOSPITAL THURSDAY AFTERNOON, OKLAHOMA LEADERS AND LEGISLATURE, THE CITY'S MAYOR AND OFFICIALS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ALL TALKED ABOUT HOW GROUNDBREAKING GROUND SYMBOLIZES A SHIFT IN THE CARE THAT OKLAHOMANS WILL RECEIVE.
NEARLY HALF OF ALL MENTAL ADULTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS ARE LIVING WITHOUT ANY TREATMENT, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH WHO HAVE RECEIVED TREATMENT FOR MAJOR DEPRESSION HAS REMAINED AT ROUGHLY 40% OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT INCLUSION, MY MAMA TOLD ME, YOU PLAY WITH ALL THE KIDS ON THE BLOCK. AND FOR GENERATIONS WE'VE NOT BEEN PLAYING WITH ALL THE KIDS ON THE BLOCK. NOW THIS WILL BE THE LARGEST MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. OFFICIALS TODAY SAID THAT BRINGING A NEW FACILITY LIKE THIS TO THE OKLAHOMA CITY AREA REALLY SHOWS THAT OKLAHOMANS WANT MENTAL HEALTH TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT THEY DO..