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Boys & Girls Club-led plan names four priority sites for MAPS youth centers; council debate spotlights ACEs and mental‑health programming
Summary
A consultant identified four priority locations for MAPS youth centers and recommended working with the Boys & Girls Club as operator. Council debate highlighted high childhood‑trauma rates and residents pressed for stronger mental‑health and outreach ties before centers open.
Consultants and MAPS staff presented a data-driven site-selection study for the city’s MAPS youth centers program on March 25, recommending four priority locations (Woodson Park, a site near Southeast 60th & Santa Fe, the Northeast Boys & Girls Club site and Melrose Park) and proposing the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County as the operator for the program.
The firm reviewed metrics including youth population density, youth poverty, juvenile and violent crime hot spots, proximity to schools, park acreage and transit access. The recommended sites were chosen to maximize coverage of schools and neighborhoods with the highest demonstrated need; the presentation showed how the four locations, plus existing Boys & Girls Club centers, would create a network to serve a large share of at‑risk youth across the city.
Tina Belsic, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County, described extensive operator preparations: staff training in trauma‑informed practice, mental‑health first‑aid certification for many staff, evidence‑based youth programs (Smart Girls, Passport to Manhood), and partnerships with clinical providers to refer young people who need licensed care. Belsic said the operator is already running programs that measure outcomes and that Boys & Girls Club surveys show higher levels of belonging among club participants.
Council discussion shifted to the city’s high ranking on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and whether the youth‑center program would prioritize in‑place mental‑health screening, early interventions and community outreach. Council members and public commenters urged aggressive, street‑level outreach to connect people who are not yet in programs, and asked whether the operator model would include counseling and trauma screening at or near the centers. Tina Belsic and the design team said mental‑health programming and calming spaces are part of operator plans and building designs. Councilman James Cooper and others urged pre‑opening outreach and coordination so communities see services before buildings open.
The council did not take a final decision on site selection at the meeting; the presentation served as the consultant’s recommendation and staff asked for direction to proceed with site evaluations and design work with the selected operator.
