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RUSK — Officials and community members gathered at Rusk State Hospital to celebrate $200 million worth of renovations to the East Texas mental health facility.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) hosted a grand opening Wednesday to show off the updated facility. Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature approved approximately $200 million in funding for the state hospital’s construction since 2017.

“I never thought I’d be standing here in Rusk, Texas – home of one of the most state-of-the-art state hospitals in the United States,” said Sen. Robert Nichols.

The three-story, 227,368 square-foot patient complex includes a 100-bed non-maximum-security unit and an expanded 100-bed maximum security unit.

The 200-bed unit will increase the number of maximum-security unit beds from 40 to 100. The hospital’s overall capacity will stay the same, according to the HHSC.

Abbott said improving mental health remains a top priority.

“The mental health of Texans remains a priority in Texas, which is why I made it an emergency item during the 2019 legislative session,” Abbott said in a press release. “Texas has allocated more than $25 billion to support and expand mental health services across our state since I’ve been governor, and the grand opening of the newly renovated Rusk State Hospital will help provide more mental health services to patients in East Texas.”

Operating since 1919, Rusk State Hospital offers inpatient adult psychiatric services to people in 36 counties throughout East Texas. The hospital serves approximately an average of 270 people annually.

“This updated facility, which has a long history of serving the Rusk community, will ensure the hospital can continue to serve Texans for many years to come,” Abbott said. “I thank the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for their work with local and community partners to oversee the construction of this new state-of-the-art facility.”

The 2023 Legislature also allocated $302 million for mental health community hospitals, $199.4 million for mental health state hospital operations and $83 million for community mental health grant programs in its recently passed biennial budget. Lawmakers said this will improve mental health services and bed capacity, particularly in rural parts of the state.

“I have to give the legislature and our governor credit for having this vision of a multi-year investment in our mental health system,” said Michelle Alletto, Chief Program & Services Officer for HHSC. “This is really a model and cornerstone for what we will be looking to do at other campuses and other facilities, to bring the most therapeutic and positive environment to the people we serve.”

HHSC officials were excited to join the community Wednesday for a day to celebrate what this renovation means for East Texas.

“This means a lot to not only the community but the staff and patients,” said Scott Schalchlin, Deputy Executive Commissioner of THHSC. “That’s what this work is all about. It makes a huge difference in what we do … Over the course of the facility’s history, we’ve saved thousands and with new modern technology, we will save thousands more.”

At the new Rusk State Hospital, primary design features include single-person rooms, the use of natural light throughout patient rooms and common areas, and outdoor spaces to promote healing and recovery. The hospital offers a variety of therapeutic, recreational and social experiences to prepare patients for life outside the hospital. The 200-bed patient complex also includes a theater, music room, beauty salon, canteen, library, gym, greenhouse and teaching kitchen.

“We’re excited to be able to offer our Rusk State Hospital patients care in a state-of-the art building that will help facilitate their recovery,” said Cecile Erwin Young, executive commissioner of THHSC. “Thank you to those who invested in our state hospitals so that we can give our patients the help they need.”

The hospital’s design features include: a 50-seat theater for movies, fine arts performances and religious services; a music room for patients to experiment with instruments, fine-tune their skills and share their musical abilities with others; beauty salon/barber shop that will allow patients to socialize and discuss self-care while getting hair styled and cut; a library with books, computers and educational programming; a gym with basketball and volleyball courts, and a store to purchase food.

There is also a greenhouse where patients can learn how to nurture and grow plants, as well as a teaching kitchen to teach meal preparation and cooking.

Patients will be divided as either RIO — Recovery Intervention Outreach, non-maximum security, and Journey, maximum security patients.

There will be 100 of each, and they will never intersect with each other.

Located on 805 North Dickinson Drive in Rusk, the newly renovated state hospital will aim to focus on recovery instead of just being used as emergency housing for people who are experiencing a mental health or behavioral crisis.“What we hope to see is shorter days, where people are getting to that therapeutic level faster, fewer injuries for staff and patients,” Alletto said. “It’s a beacon of hope for our facilities and our staff to continue coming to work every day and serve, and see a facility like this and really know that the legislature and the governor is really behind the work they do to make a difference.”