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Norman Today
By the People, for the People
Oklahoma Converts Shuttered Hospital Into Mental Health Campus
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is transforming the former SSM Health hospital in southwest Oklahoma City into a centralized inpatient psychiatric facility.
Published on Feb. 11, 2026
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The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has purchased the former SSM Health hospital campus in southwest Oklahoma City and plans to convert it into the new Oklahoma City Behavioral Health Hospital. The $60 million project will create a centralized inpatient psychiatric facility, allowing the state to shift patients from the aging Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman and expand badly needed mental health bed capacity in the metro area.
Why it matters
The new facility is expected to modernize psychiatric care, reduce long transports for law enforcement and emergency responders, and eventually allow the old Griffin Memorial campus to be sold or redeveloped. For families and behavioral health providers, a centralized hospital in an urban setting should be easier to access and better equipped to handle acute mental health crises.
The details
The department is using $18.5 million to purchase the former SSM Health campus and $41.5 million for renovations, funded by federal ARPA dollars. The campus includes a main complex, an annex, and a warehouse totaling 191,324 square feet. Renovations will be done in phases, with the annex slated to open first with 32 inpatient beds by March 2026, allowing for the first patient transfers from Griffin Memorial. The full campus is expected to support around 197 beds once all renovations are complete.
- The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services closed on the purchase of the former SSM Health site on February 11, 2026.
- Renovations on the annex building are expected to be completed by March 2026, allowing for the first patient transfers from Griffin Memorial Hospital.
The players
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
The state agency that purchased the former SSM Health campus and is overseeing the conversion into the new Oklahoma City Behavioral Health Hospital.
Griffin Memorial Hospital
The aging psychiatric hospital in Norman, Oklahoma that will be shifting some of its patients to the new Oklahoma City Behavioral Health Hospital.
What they’re saying
“The purchase is a 'game-changer' and moves the state closer to its goal of greater centralized inpatient capacity.”
— Greg Slavonic, Interim Commissioner (KFOR)
What’s next
Renovation of the annex building is expected to be completed by March 2026, allowing for the first patient transfers from Griffin Memorial Hospital. The department will then need to hire staff and complete additional renovation phases before the full campus is up and running.
The takeaway
This project represents a major investment by Oklahoma to modernize and centralize its mental health infrastructure, addressing longstanding capacity issues and improving access to acute psychiatric care for residents in the Oklahoma City metro area.
