Wyoming Behavioral Institute's chief executive officer had weekly conversations last fall with the Wyoming Department of Health, trying to find beds for patients.

Last year, there were instances where people in crisis waited several days in an emergency room or even jail, Joseph Gallagher and his colleagues said.

In the back of his mind, Gallagher knew help was coming, though. The facility was well underway with its 20-bed, $4.5 million expansion project.

The facility completed the project last week and will begin moving adult patients into the new wing some time later this month.

"On a statewide level, the state is under-bedded for behavioral health services," Gallagher said. "And we will still need more."

Wyoming Behavioral Institute, the state's only private, free-standing psychiatric hospital, has been trying to add more beds since 2004 when the hospital's leadership team determined a need. In November 2005, the hospital was taken over by Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services.

"We were looking for a company that would embrace our vision for expansion," Gallagher said.

With it the company brought plans and the resources to expand the hospital's facility. The facility broke ground on its new wing in summer 2008.

Though the facility is only adding 20 new beds to its license, the expansion actually added 26 beds, said Emily Genoff, business development coordinator.

Each bedroom has two beds and one bathroom. The new wing also has three private consultation rooms, a visitors room, group therapy rooms, a small cafeteria and a seclusion and restraint room.

The facility also added an elevator, a feature it did not have before, Genoff said.

With the new beds, the facility will be able to serve more adults and adolescents. The facility offers one of the only choices for long-term mental health care for adolescents.

"We don't like our patients with mental illness in crisis to be sitting in emergency rooms," said Nadine Dexter, director of clinical services.

Dexter said the new expansion has helped them recruit two new psychiatrists to the facility who will start work in July.

This is good for mental health care in the community as a whole, Gallagher said. He hopes the expansion will allow Wyoming Behavioral to better collaborate with Wyoming Medical Center, Central Wyoming Counseling Center and facilities in surrounding counties.

The new wing provides for a better healing environment as part of Universal Health Services' commitment to helping reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, Gallagher said.

"They've made a real investment in space and a level of quality anyone would feel comfortable admitting their own family to," Gallagher said.

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.