Construction begins on MAPS 4 Robert Ravitz Crisis Center

Link to groundbreaking photo

Oklahoma City leaders broke ground today on the $12.3-million MAPS 4 Robert Ravitz Crisis Center, a facility designed to expand access to critical mental health and substance use intervention resources for Oklahoma City residents. The Arnall Family Foundation also contributed $2.6 million to the project.

The center will include spaces for emergency assessments, stabilization detoxification, counseling, respite, adequate sleep and connections to ongoing support for people experiencing a mental health crisis. It will be operated by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).

"How we respond to Oklahomans during their most vulnerable moments reflects who we are as a state," said ODMHSAS Interim Commissioner Joshua Anderson. "The Robert Ravitz Crisis Center strengthens Oklahoma's behavioral health system by expanding direct crisis care and connecting more Oklahomans experiencing severe mental illness and substance use disorders with treatment, recovery and hope."

The center will feature an urgent recovery center with 25 observation stations and a social living area, plans for two crisis stabilization wings with a total of 32 beds, a group therapy room, calming room, social living area and outdoor courtyard. The center will also include administrative offices, a kitchen and a cafeteria.

“Robert Ravitz had a passion for righting injustice and felt strongly that individuals in mental health crisis or struggling with addiction needed treatment options instead of incarceration. It is only fitting that this center is named in his honor,” said Sue Ann Arnall, president of the Arnall Family Foundation. “I am hopeful that dedicating this building to him will continue his legacy of fighting for people in crisis while inspiring other bold champions of this work to have a similar impact on future generations of Oklahomans."

The crisis center will be located at 1200 NE 13th St., on the east side of the OU Health Sciences Center campus. The center is scheduled to open in 2028.

S.A. Studio designed the Robert Ravitz Crisis Center, and L5 Construction is the contractor.

MAPS 4 is a debt-free public improvement program funded by a temporary penny sales tax that will raise a projected $1.07 billion over eight years. Oklahoma City voters approved the sales tax to fund MAPS 4 in a special election on Dec. 10, 2019, moving forward with a unique and ambitious plan to transform our community. The temporary penny sales tax funding MAPS 4 began April 1, 2020, and ends in 2028. More than 70 percent of MAPS 4 funding is dedicated to neighborhood and human needs. The rest is for quality of life and job-creating initiatives. The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board and its six subcommittees will guide MAPS 4 planning and implementation, making recommendations to the City Council. The Council has final authority on MAPS 4. The MAPS Investment and Operating Trust developed a strategic investment plan to support long-term sustainable funding for MAPS 4 projects' operational expenses and maintenance. Visit okc.gov/maps4 for more.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services provides prevention, treatment and recovery services for mental illness and substance use disorders across all 77 counties. Through a statewide network of community behavioral health centers, crisis services and treatment providers, ODMHSAS helps connect Oklahomans and their families to care, recovery and support. Learn more at www.odmhsas.org.

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