Revolutionizing psychiatric care

Sneak peek: New Menninger Clinic Mental Health Epicenter redefines the statusquo

None of the existing furniture or supplies will make the move from Menninger'sold facility on Gessner Drive, so fine bedding and bath linens were bought new —and nice.
Photo by Whitney Radley
All of the patient buildings face an interior courtyard. Berms form a visualbarrier, creating a simultaneous sense of openness and privacy. Other outdoorfeatures include a meditation garden, a labyrinth and an herb garden.
Photo by Whitney Radley
The Menninger Clinic focuses on overall wellness. The campus is outfitted with asaline swimming pool, a basketball gym, workout equipment and a pilates room.
Photo by Whitney Radley
Even interior spaces emphasize the outdoors. This is a patient common area, withadjoining computer areas and private rooms off to the side for quietgatherings.
Photo by Whitney Radley

Almost 10 years ago, the Menninger Clinic, a nationally-renowned psychiatric treatment facility, made a big move to Houston from its longtime home base in Topeka, Kan., to be near the Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital, its new affiliates.

Seventeen months ago, Menninger started work on a new 120-bed hospital, situated on 50 sprawling acres just south of the Texas Medical Center. And on May 1, the clinic's Mental Health Epicenter will open as the new home for the thousands of patients Menninger sees each year. (A grand opening program will be held on Thursday, featuring former Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, with guided tours available.)

The move puts Menninger significantly closer to its hospital affiliates, which will ease collaboration, while also allowing room for future expansion. According to president and CEO Ian Aitken, next steps include a neuroscience research facility and improved outpatient services.

Our exclusive tour of the new facility proves that it doesn't look like your typical hospital.

And that's not to mention the aesthetic improvements.

Our exclusive tour of the new facility proves that it doesn't look like your typical hospital. The buildings' clean lines form a circle around a large courtyard, which is filled with rolling hills and a leafy landscape. The space is meant to feel peaceful and introspective, with a focus on the outdoors.

Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture inspired the design (valances in the patient rooms even incorporate a design based on a Wright painting) — an influence evident from the dark wood molding to the pervasive stained glass motif to the heavy, linear furniture interspersed throughout the campus.

The clinic's history is interwoven throughout, too, with photographs from the hospital in Topeka and artifacts from doctors and patients past.

Shawna Morris, senior vice president and chief operating officer, explained that everything at the new facility was planned out to the last detail: Plenty of courtyards and al fresco seating areas, including an outdoor kitchen; fine bed linens and mattresses to fit individual preferences; real dishware in the cafeteria, as well as a commissioned art piece lining the dining room wall that is virtually indestructible, and able to be cleaned with a damp cloth.

Each employee — all of whom work at the hospital full-time, unlike most psychiatric facilities — has access to natural light, including the usually-sequestered pharmacists and the chefs in the kitchen. Most have a window view of what matters: The patients.

Most employees have a window view of what matters: The patients.

The visual design aligns with the original intentions of the clinic, which was founded by Drs. Karl, Will and Charles F. Menninger in 1919.

"The Menningers are giants in psychology. They were very much interested in addressing stigma about mental health," Aitken told CultureMap.

Aitken explained that Menniger's treatment distinguishes itself from many others because of the length of stay: Patients spend six to eight weeks at the clinic, an average of 45 days longer than at other treatment facilities.

"This is important because people have complex disorders," said Aitken. "We take the time to sort them out. We're known for wiping the slate clean."

The Menninger Clinic will host guided tours of the Mental Health Epicenter from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, in conjunction with a grand opening program on the new campus. Find more information here.

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Meet the Elrods

Houston family dishes on life after Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Courtesy of ABC

The Elrod family with hosts Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer.

On Thursday, January 30, viewers tuned in to the latest episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to watch a deserving Houston-area family receive the gift of a lifetime — a brand new Taylor Morrison home. As CultureMap has previously reported, the home was curated and organized by this season’s hosts, The Home Edit’s Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, ensuring a fully-customized, turn-key delivery for the family.

The Elrod family suffered a devastating loss on August 29, 2023 when a house fire claimed the lives of 71-year-old beloved grandmother Cornelia Elrod and the family’s “sweet little cat” Dexter. While nothing can replace the loss of life that occurred during the fire, their community rallied behind the Elrods and nominated the family to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which ultimately led to a brand new home.

CultureMap spoke to recipients Regina and Maurice Elrod to find out more about the family, their experience on the show, and what really happens when the cameras stop rolling.

The Elrods are not only a resilient couple, they are also accomplished, go-getting, multi-hyphenates who contribute to their community immensely. Regina is a Licensed Professional Counselor who works as an eighth grade counselor at Katy I.S.D’s Cardiff Junior High. She also heads Grow Through It Counseling, a private therapy practice in Katy. As shown on the show, she enjoys woodworking and has won Morton Ranch Elementary’s Volunteer of the Year award twice. Maurice is a Brand Director for the Houston Texans who continues engaging his creativity outside the office via filmmaking, screenwriting, and directing thrillers and dramas.

Regina and Maurice, along with the rest of the family — Trey, who is at the San Francisco Academy of Arts; Jalen, attending Purdue University; sixth grader Samiah; and niece Connie, a student at Prairie View A&M University — have been thrilled to be in their new home.

“We were ready for a fresh start,” says Maurice, noting that it was merely a few days past the first anniversary of the fire that they received their new home on August 24, 2024. “That morning, when the bus pulled off, it took a lot of planning. They hit it on the head — it was a home run. It was really cool.”

He adds that when the keys are handed over, they come with a keychain that reads “Keys to Happiness,” saying “It feels good because it’s true — they are the keys to happiness.”

Now, five months into the experience, the family has settled in nicely. “It’s more efficient,” Regina says of their new Taylor Morrison home. The space has been nice as well, with Regina sharing that the family “loves to cook and watch movies in the theater room.”

As for how she likes the design and decor of the home, Regina loves it and appreciates the skills of everyone involved in the process, saying: “I’m a sporty, wood-shopping, mom and wife—I can’t design things. They [the team] are amazing! It’s a beautiful home. Even over time I couldn’t have done this. It’s beyond! I was speechless.”

Many people wonder what the experience is really like being on the show, but the Elrods squash any ideas that any part of the show is disingenuous. “That team is so caring and empathetic, it was real. So caring,” says Regina. Maurice makes a point of saying that the experience is ongoing, with those involved in the process checking in on the family often. “It extended beyond the show, that part was really beautiful.”

Another thing the Elrods are grateful for is the addition of a new feline family member. Citizens for Animal Protection assisted the family in adopting a gray-and-white kitten named Star. While the kitty is technically a family pet, it’s young cat lover Samiah who benefits most. “Dexter was her baby,” says Maurice, “it’s nice to have a place for her to have another pet.” Very nice indeed.

The Elrod’s episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is available to stream on Hulu.

Courtesy of ABC

The Elrod family with hosts Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer.

extreme makeover: home edition reality-tv home-design