- The Utah State Developmental Center is opening a $36 million comprehensive therapy building.
- The facility includes a pool, medical clinic, physical therapy rooms and a behavioral health wing.
- Gov. Spencer Cox said the building is one of the "smartest investments" the state has made to help residents with disabilities.
AMERICAN FORK — Residents at the Utah State Developmental Center will soon enjoy greater amenities at a new comprehensive therapy building, which resident Patrick Horrigan called "freaking awesome."
Horrigan is part of the governing board that helped make the new building possible. Even though it's hard to be away from his family, the center has been helping him prepare to live independently, he said.
During a tour of the new facility on Thursday with Gov. Spencer Cox, Horrigan excitedly pointed out details and things that will be useful for residents.
"It's really awesome to see this new building," he said, adding that he and his roommates are most excited about the pool.
The approximately $36 million therapy building has a medical and dental clinic; a gymnasium for physical recreation; an occupational and physical therapy space that is more than twice as large as the one in the old facility; a workshop lab where residents can learn how to do daily tasks such as wash dishes, laundry, make a bed and clean the bathroom; a large, wheelchair-accessible swimming pool that can be used for movement therapy; and rooms for residents to participate in crafts, art and other programming to "live the fullest life they can," said Utah State Developmental Center superintendent Tim Mathews.
An entire wing will also be dedicated to behavioral and mental health, with sensory rooms and resources to help those with autism. Mathews said the center has doubled the size of its behavioral and mental health teams to address an increased need for services.
The 37,000-square-foot facility features a sculpture garden outside with playful and uplifting designs of animals and musical elements. There will also be a "gift shop" where members of the community can buy handmade items from the residents.
About 160 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, who can't live on their own, reside at the center. Mathews said the whole campus is designed to help these individuals become independent and live full lives.
"The purpose of our job is to figure out how to get everybody back in the community, if they safely can," Mathews said.
With funding from the Utah Legislature, the Utah State Developmental Center celebrated the completion of the new state of the art therapy building on Thursday. The new facility will replace three aging buildings on the center's campus.
"Almost 100 years ago, the community and public servants got together and dedicated this land for the people that have developmental and intellectual disabilities. ... The completion of this building is another confirmation to that commitment that we have for the service and the love for this community," Mathews said.
The center aims to connect with the community as the behavioral health wing will offer services to anyone in the state needing help, not just residents. The center helps its residents, but it also wants to be proactive and assist people in the community before they reach the point that they need to be placed in a facility, Mathews said.
"We're really excited about getting the new program off the ground — we want to help everybody in the state of Utah," Mathews said, adding that the new building demonstrates the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' commitment to ensuring "all Utahns have fair and equitable opportunities to live safe and healthy lives."
The therapy building has a "welcoming, warm, inspiring and transformative" design that was eight years in the making, said Tracy Gruber, executive director of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Gruber spoke of how the department went to the Legislature to advocate for funding of the new building, which will start being used on Monday. She said the governor "enthusiastically" supported the efforts to get the building funded once he came into office.
"What an incredible impact it will make for the individuals who live at the center and the staff," Gruber said.
Cox said the building is a "strategic" investment for the community, and its opening is a "momentous moment" that the state should be proud of.
"In Utah, we pride ourselves on collaboration in working to make things better. ... This marks, I think, one of the smartest investments we have made as a state to help the residents who desperately need these services," he said.
The new building is anticipated to save about 30,000 annual staff hours of transporting residents, allowing for more treatment time for the individuals, Cox said. The building's modernized approach to care provides all services in one location, reinforcing the state's commitment to the evolving needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"You are the real heroes of today, and you are the reason we've invested millions of dollars to help you have better lives," he said in a speech to the residents. "We see you, we love you and we want you to have the success that everyone in Utah deserves."
