Visitors to The Gardens at Saint Elizabeths will stroll through peaceful gardens with reflecting pools and a Weeping Wall. The memorial will be woven into an existing 10-acre cemetery, resting place of some 4,500 psychiatric patients who died at Saint Elizabeths. Nearly half of the graves belong to veterans, beginning with the Civil War era. The rest are civilians from the District of Columbia who have no grave markers.
The Gardens at Saint Elizabeths will feature markers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, listing the state hospitals where patients are buried.
“We hope that every consumer can visit the Washington, D.C., memorial and come away inspired and empowered to work for a full life in the community for their peers,” says Sue Bergeson, OptumHealth Public Sector Vice President of Consumer Affairs.
Operation of the National Memorial
The National Memorial will be operated by people in recovery from mental illness, with patients from Saint Elizabeths given a priority for jobs.
