Gov. Nixon Breaks Ground on New Fulton State Psychiatric Hospital Campus

Press Release

Gov. Jay Nixon today marked a historic moment for Missouri's mental health system as he joined state and local officials in breaking ground on the new Fulton State Psychiatric Hospital campus. The event took place in front of the existing administration building, which will eventually be rebuilt and become the front entrance of the new hospital.

"We are morally obligated to provide Missourians suffering from severe mental illness the best care and treatment possible, in a safe and secure therapeutic environment," Gov. Nixon said. "That is precisely what they will receive here at the new Fulton State Hospital."

Last year, the General Assembly backed the Governor's plan for replacing the state's outdated and deteriorating maximum-security psychiatric facility at Fulton with a new state-of-the-art mental hospital that will be safer and more conducive to modern treatment.

"The safety of staff and patients is critical to creating an environment of recovery and treatment," said Dr. Keith Schafer, Director of the Department of Mental Health. "This will be a high security facility that will last for many generations and have the flexibility to change for future needs."

More than 100 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony included current and former legislators, Callaway County and City of Fulton elected officials, staff from the Department of Mental Health and the Office of Administration as well as several Fulton community members.

Demolition, abatement and construction began earlier this month. Construction is projected to be complete by December 2017. The last building to be demolished will be the maximum security Biggs Forensic Center after the patients have moved into the new facility in the spring of 2018.

Fulton State Hospital, built in 1851, is the oldest state psychiatric hospital west of the Mississippi River. The Biggs and Guhleman Forensic Centers on the campus treat patients with serious mental illness who are committed by Missouri courts for evaluation and treatment related to a crime, or who have seriously assaulted patients or staff in our other state psychiatric hospitals.

Biggs is the state's only maximum security psychiatric facility. Since 2007, the facility has taken in over a thousand admissions from 99 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

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