New facility expands counselling services for addiction and mental health

Client

The Virtue Center

Location

Norman, Oklahoma

Market

Nonprofit

Project Scope

New counselling facility

Square Feet

14,000

Anticipated Completion

Mid-2023

Addressing Community Needs

The Virtue Center broke ground in August 2021 on their new facility in Norman, Oklahoma, serving those struggling with addiction, trauma and related mental health issues. The new 14,000-square-foot center will expand the organization’s capacity for intensive outpatient treatment services to people within Cleveland County’s surrounding community.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, addiction is Oklahoma’s number one public health crisis with one in four Oklahoma families impacted by addiction and related mental health issues. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental health has only heighted the need for the Virtue Center’s expansion.

Designed to support group’s mission

Intended to promote healing through compassion and dignity, REES designed the new facility to embody The Virtue Center’s mission of hope, connection and community. Several therapeutic outdoor patios will provide places for solace, reflection and collaboration to inspire hope for the future. Featuring high ceiling and an abundance of natural light, small group therapy rooms along with private counseling offices are designed to help clients restore personal relationships affected by trauma and addiction. Comfortable and calming spaces dedicated to large group training and therapy will accommodate volunteer outreach groups helping Virtue Center clients reconnect to the community.

With spaces devoted to therapy for teenagers, the new facility allows The Virtue Center to continue its onsite collaborative work with local school districts, juvenile programs and county judicial systems. During the Center’s 50-year history, it has counseled and served more than 27,000 people in Norman, Cleveland County and the surrounding area.

The REES-designed facility is slated to open in mid-2023. You can read more about The Virtue Center, its services and its mission here.