Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center under development
By James Coburn, staff writer
A promising new chapter of transformative pediatric behavioral health care will open its doors on December 7, said Dr. Teresa Boykins, Director of Nursing, Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center.
There is a critical need with limited resources for this population, she said. Limited resources will continue to be limited because of state funding and some of the things on the state side with the Department of Health and Substance Abuse with the possibility of some of the other facilities closing.
“So, we’re opening at a great time and a very needed time,” Boykins added. “I also feel it is long overdue because I have been in behavioral health since December of 2000.”
Doors will open for parents and children in need of comprehensive services.
Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center will have acute inpatient beds, intensive outpatient PHP (an intensive, structured, non-24-hour outpatient mental health or addiction treatment program), and a feeding disorder and an eating disorder program, Boykins said. The inpatient side we will have six to seven neuro-cognitive beds. The rest will be acute population beds. It will accept patients from 5–17-year-olds.
There will be six floors with the first floor serving as dedicated office space for leadership and the second and third floors reserved for the parking garage. The fourth, fifth and six floors are the patient care areas.
This facility shall include safety-enhanced architecture, sensory-informed spaces, specialized programming areas, and secure therapeutic environments to ensure both patient and staff safety while preserving dignity and comfort. Its design is based on a trauma free environment. There will be a huge array of windows with sunlight, skylight, bright colors with outdoor space on each of the three floors within the six-floor structure that will also accommodate parking.
The Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center will be a 72-bed, state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital and outpatient treatment center designed specifically for children and adolescents across Oklahoma and the region. The hospital will invest in more than 400 professionals committed to care, beginning with 72-92 nurses and more than 105 behavioral health techs.
Marketing currently has a campaign drive for recruiting. There will be a total of 469 employees including those hired.
There will be no dark, dungeon-like institutional look anywhere in or outside of the building. Children will be able to choose the daily color of light in their room. These small things make a difference in behavioral health, Boykins said.
Parents will be provided what no other hospital or facility has provided, she continued. Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center will be the first facility or hospital in the state to allow parents to stay if does not conflict with care or anyone else’s care.
“We have also partnered with Oklahoma City Public Schools so those children who are here — there is no break in their learning. They can attend class here onsite with Oklahoma City Public School teachers,” Boykins said.
Children’s Hospital is also partnering with the Ronald McDonald House to house parents which will be in the same building where children will be located. In addition, the Crisis Intervention Team of the Oklahoma City Police Department has reached out to partner with Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center
The 172,775-square-foot Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center will be a free-standing building attached to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health. The staff will be hired for their skill set and expertise, starting at the top leadership down to health techs.
“I can say it is a great day and a great time to work for OU Children’s Hospital,” Boykins said.
Her own interview was eight hours with three to five members of leaders and she’s grateful for it because it demonstrated the meticulous length that leadership brings to ensure they hired the right person.
“They were serious about who they would choose to provide incite for this facility,” she explained.
The team she works with has laid out the red carpet to bring all necessary resources to advance the Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center.
“The staffing opportunities that I’ve been given — being able to build the training, help build the competencies for the staff that I’m bringing in and partake in the energy process and meeting with professional workflow teams to make sure we’ve got everything panned out from the admission process, to the child making it to the bed,” Boykins said. “Even the outpatient side, the collaboration with the therapists, social work, psychiatry, psychology — it’s outstanding. I’m so glad to be here.”
