A major expansion of children’s mental health services is underway in Southeast Portland, where Trillium Family Services is preparing to build a new trauma-informed psychiatric care building — the first ground-up addition to its campus in more than three decades.
The 10,375-square-foot Whole Person Psychiatric Residential Treatment Building will rise on Trillium’s 13-acre property at 3415 S.E. Powell Blvd., filling a critical gap in access to intensive mental health treatment for Oregon youth. The facility will offer 12 inpatient beds, increasing Trillium’s capacity at a time when behavioral health resources are strained statewide.
TVA Architects is leading the design, drawing on lessons learned from Trillium’s Corvallis campus. Principal Tim Wybenga said staff and former patients helped shape the building’s features, especially its emphasis on visibility and daylight.
“A lot of times, the solution to prevent breakage of windows is to minimize or remove windows,” Wybenga said. “We’ve found access to views to nature and daylight being so important, so we’ve been more strategic in how we’ve configured the windows.”
The wood-framed building will sit between Trillium’s academic facility and its healing garden — a feature embraced by both children and clinicians. Bedrooms will overlook trees and outdoor therapy spaces, reinforcing the project’s core belief that the environment plays a direct role in recovery.
“Your environment has so much to do with your healing,” Trillium Family Services CEO Jamie Vandergon said. “Creating a brand-new trauma-informed healing environment for kids in crisis is such a tremendous benefit to the care we provide and to the kids.”
Vandergon highlighted the campus garden as an example of how hands-on activities support therapy:
“There’s this beautiful garden space where kids are working in the dirt and growing things,” she said, noting that the children even host a small farmers market each year.
Earth-toned colors, secure outdoor areas, and nature-focused materials complete the design palette.
The building’s interior will include:
Individual, group, and family therapy rooms
A sensory playroom and gross motor kitchen for life-skills development
Staff collaboration areas and private decompression spaces
Dedicated rooms for family visits adjacent to each inpatient bed
Play-based amenities and a multipurpose room for community programming
Space for onsite medical, occupational and physical therapy providers
Partner agencies helped shape specialized treatment areas. Neurotherapeutic Pediatric Therapies provided input to ensure occupational therapy rooms include tools such as aerial silk swings, yoga balls and mats.
The $15.1 million project cost includes interior finishes and furniture. Funding comes entirely from Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations:
These funds reflect Oregon’s broader policy push to expand youth mental health resources following years of capacity shortages and wait-lists.
Construction is expected to begin early 2026, with completion anticipated by late spring 2027.
Project partners include:
Wybenga said the work has a deeper personal impact:
Trillium does a lot for kids throughout Oregon, Wybenga said, adding that it is meaningful to be a part of this project.
When finished, the building will help ease the statewide shortage in psychiatric care beds for children while creating a welcoming environment where families can remain closely involved throughout treatment.
Originally reported by Hilary Dorsey in DJC Oregon.
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