SIH Mulberry Center Expansion

Transforming Mental Health Care in Southern Illinois

SIH is reaffirming its commitment to comprehensive mental health care with the expansion of the SIH Mulberry Center. This transformative project will significantly enhance our ability to provide compassionate, evidence-based psychiatric care in a supportive environment where healing and recovery are our highest priorities.

As the only non-state-operated, nonprofit inpatient mental health facility serving the 16 southernmost counties of Illinois, the SIH Mulberry Center provides critical psychiatric care in a supportive medical environment. Our expansion responds to a vital community need, ensuring that quality mental health services are accessible to all residents of Southern Illinois.

Meeting Our Region's Mental Health Needs

Due to the growing need for mental health care and limited space, over 700 people each year must travel far from home – to Springfield, Chicago, or even out of state – to receive the care they urgently need. These long journeys add stress during already difficult times and separate people from their vital support systems when they need them most.

We believe everyone deserves quality mental health care close to home. Mental wellness is an essential part of overall health, and having a mental health condition reflects real differences in brain chemistry and function. By expanding our services, we're working to reduce stigma around mental health and ensure that critical—and often life-saving—care is available to everyone who needs it.

A Modern Facility Designed for Healing

Our expansion includes a 9,900-square-foot addition, alongside comprehensive modernization of the existing Adult and Geriatric psychiatry units. When completed, the expanded center will feature:

• Increased Capacity: Growing from 30 to 42 inpatient beds, including 12 private rooms that preserve patient dignity
• Specialized Care Units: A new medical-psychiatric unit specifically designed for patients with acute psychiatric needs and ongoing medical conditions that require simultaneous treatment
• Enhanced Therapeutic Environments: Completely renovated Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry wings, updated communal areas, and a refreshed outdoor courtyard
• Improved Treatment Programs: Updated facilities create space for expanded group therapy, therapeutic activities, crisis care, and better follow-up support after discharge
• Better Community Integration: Expanded space and improved programs create stronger connections with local support services to ensure continuous care

The modernized facility will feature enhanced therapeutic spaces, improved safety features, and an environment specifically designed to promote healing and recovery, all supported by SIH's comprehensive team of mental health professionals

Creating Meaningful Impact for Our Community

The expansion of the SIH Mulberry Center represents more than just a building project—it's an investment in the well-being of our entire region. By supporting expanded mental health services, we're saying YES to:

• Compassionate Care Close to Home: Patients can heal near their families and support systems, reducing the additional stress of travel during vulnerable times
• Improved Access: More beds and specialized units mean faster connections to appropriate care when it's needed most
• Comprehensive Treatment: Addressing both physical and mental health needs in one location, leading to better outcomes and faster stabilization
• Reduced Wait Times: Patients can begin psychiatric treatment quicker with less time spent in emergency departments
• Economic Strength: Creating healthcare positions and construction jobs that will bring approximately $50 million in economic impact to Harrisburg
• A Healthier Southern Illinois: Building community resilience by addressing the mental health needs of our entire region

Our multidisciplinary team—including psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, and therapists—collaborates to provide personalized care aimed at crisis stabilization and developing a foundation for continued recovery. The expanded facility will enhance our ability to deliver this vital care to more people in need.

Groundbreaking Celebration

Join our community celebration as we break ground on this transformative healing space for Southern Illinois!

• Date: June 24, 2025
• Time: 5 - 6:15 p.m.
• Location: SIH Harrisburg Medical Center (south entrance)
• Details: Light refreshments and opportunities to speak with our healthcare team
• For any questions or further event information, please contact the SIH Foundation at sihfoundation@sih.net or 618.529.0667

Join Us in Building a Home for Hope

We invite you to be part of this transformative journey through the "Hope is Home" capital campaign for expanding the SIH Mulberry Center. Your support helps ensure that hope and healing have a home in Southern Illinois for generations to come.

For more information about donation opportunities, including naming rights and recognition, contact the
SIH Foundation sihfoundation@sih.net 618.529.0667

When you give to the SIH Mulberry Center, you're ensuring that hope has a home in Southern Illinois.