Cincinnati Children's is breaking ground on a new inpatient mental health facility in College Hill Friday. The $99 million building will replace the current inpatient facility, which will remain open during construction.
The new building will be larger, with dedicated spaces for group therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and recreational therapy.
President and CEO Michael Fisher says construction will take about 36 months.
"When it's complete, it will really be probably the very best facility in the country to serve children and adolescents with inpatient residential mental health needs."
A $36 million donation from the Convalescent Hospital Fund for Children will cover about a third of the cost. Cincinnati Children's will pay for another third, and hopes to raise the remaining $36 million through philanthropic and community donations.
"It's really important that we all join together to help make this a reality," said CHFC Board Chair Susan Shelton. "We can make a difference in the lives of children who have mental illness."
Fisher says mental health treatment is more important than it ever has been.
"Mental health for children and adolescents was a crisis even before COVID," Fisher said. "But that's only been exacerbated with the isolation the stressors associated with COVID."
The 160,000-square foot facility will have private rooms for all inpatients, which will allow a child's family to stay overnight.
The facility is expected to be open in late 2023.
