It’s only been a few years since the University of Oregon’s Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health opened at the old Concordia University campus in Northeast Portland. But anticipated rising workforce demands and increasing student interest means the program is already outgrowing its shoes.

Now the university is making more space.

UO leaders and community members broke ground on an estimated $83 million project to build a new home for the institute on Thursday.

“Our program is growing very rapidly,” said Ballmer Institute executive director Kate McLaughlin. She noted that the Portland campus is already getting crowded for current cohorts, which comprise about 50 students.

“Currently there aren’t classrooms big enough to support growing substantially, beyond that size,” McLaughlin said. “So this is really going to be a game changer in terms of allowing us to increase the size of our training program and to really meet the workforce needs of our state.”

University of Oregon trains new class of health care workers to fill gaps and improve youth mental health

UO launched the Ballmer Institute in 2022. Its core goal is to address Oregon’s lack of child behavioral health services, which is limited by a shortage of trained workers. The institute’s founders have set a goal to lead the region and the nation in educating a new generation of specialized healthcare workers.

The mental and behavioral health needs of young people in the U.S. have been on the rise nationally. But in Oregon, this societal issue is especially acute.

The mental health research and advocacy group, Mental Health America, ranks Oregon 39th in the nation for youth mental health and well-being. The nonprofit measures states based on the prevalence of recorded child mental health cases and access to care.

Meanwhile, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, found 63% of young people in Oregon reported that accessing mental health care was somewhat difficult, very difficult or impossible.

UO leaders are betting on Ballmer Institute graduates reversing that trend. But first, it needs to work on expanding the program’s own capacity.

The new 54,000-square-foot building will include classrooms that can support up to 300 students a year. It’ll house a no-cost community youth behavioral health clinic as well as a telehealth center to serve Oregonians in rural areas. And UO’s Prevention Science Institute, a child mental health research hub, will move into the new space.

State bonds, approved by lawmakers last year, are paying for more than half — just over $53 million — of the new construction.

University of Oregon celebrates new Portland campus amid $30 million budget shortfall

University officials say a donation of $15 million from the Tykeson Family Foundation is the lead philanthropic gift going towards the structure. The Tykeson family previously supported UO with a $10 million gift to create the Tykeson College and Careers Building on the university’s main campus in Eugene. The new building on the Portland campus will be named after the Tykeson family.

“The work underway here is groundbreaking — literally — and deeply needed,” said Amy Tykeson in a statement. “We believe there are few projects with greater potential to change the lives of children and families across the state.”

The institute’s flagship program is its bachelor’s degree in child behavioral health. The program trains students to work in various healthcare settings, including in K-12 school health offices. The undergraduates get 700 hours of hands-on training at local mental health organizations, such as Morrison Child & Family Services, Trillium Family Services and Catholic Community Services.

The institute is graduating its first cohort of 17 students this week, all of whom have earned a newly-created behavioral health practitioner license. The license was developed over the past two years, approved by lawmakers during this year’s short session and signed into law by Gov. Tina Kotek last month.

Even with the region’s school districts and social service agencies facing difficult budgets, and with college graduates entering a tough job climate, McLaughlin said all of this year’s graduates who have applied for jobs in this new line of work have received multiple offers.

“Our community partners have seen what these students are capable of, the kind of training they’ve had and they’re hiring them for jobs,” McLaughlin said. “I think that is the real testament to our program meeting the needs of the community.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/11/uo-breaks-ground-ballmer-institute-expansion/