The Oklahoma City Council has decided to dedicate the MAPS 4 Mental Health Crisis Center to a local legal luminary, Robert "Bob" Ravitz, who passed away in 2024, dubbing the new establishment the Robert Ravitz Crisis Center. Credited with a commitment to those entangled in the justice system and mental health challenges, Ravitz's namesake center emerges from a MAPS 4 investment of $12.27 million aimed at enhancing mental health and substance use support services.
Nestled on the east side of the OU Health Sciences Center campus, the center will stand on a site at 1200 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, with a land purchase in progress. The Arnall Family Foundation also pitched in, adding a $2.35 million boon to the cause. With a groundbreaking slated for spring 2026, the center's blueprint involves emergency assessments, stabilization services, and bridges to ongoing support for those in crisis. According to the City of Oklahoma City's announcement, this center is shaped by decades of advocacy from individuals like Ravitz, who envisioned a community enriched by accessible mental health resources.
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) is set to manage the center, aligning with its mission of mental wellness promotion, substance misuse prevention, and the delivery of treatment and recovery support. ODMHSAS Interim Commissioner Greg Slavonic told the City of Oklahoma City, "Caring for those affected by mental illness and substance use takes a united community effort." He added, "Through our partnership with the City of Oklahoma City on the new MAPS 4 Crisis Center, we honor Mr. Ravitz's legacy and strengthen the support network for Oklahomans who need it most."
Throughout his career, Robert Ravitz fiercely defended the rights of the underserved, establishing his reputation as Oklahoma County's Chief Public Defender from 1987 and engaging as an educator at Oklahoma City University School of Law. Ravitz's pivotal Supreme Court victory in Cooper v. Oklahoma, as highlighted by the City of Oklahoma City, fortified due process rights for defendants judged mentally incompetent to proceed to trial. The forthcoming crisis center will not only bear his name but will embody his enduring ethos of justice coupled with compassion.
MAPS 4, a debt-free public improvement initiative funded by a temporary penny sales tax, aspires to raise a projected $1.07 billion over eight years, running until 2028. This money is earmarked for neighborhood, human needs, quality of life, and job-creating projects, with more than 70 percent of the fund particularly assigned to the former categories. An advisory board and related subcommittees are tasked with overseeing the planning and implementation phases of MAPS 4, as reported by the City of Oklahoma City.
