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Insights & Solutions

Get the latest trends, tools, and resources for improving healthcare environments here. Browse our many free and members-only resources, including research reports and issue briefs, interviews, case studies, design strategies, lessons learned, key point summaries, and webinars.

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Related Resource

Behavioral & Mental Health Related Resources
October 2018 ∘ Related Resource ∘
This list of resources is made of up of policies and organizations related to behavioral and mental health. Use this list to learn more about this topic.
Interview

The Importance of Safety, Comfort, and Design in Behavioral Health Furniture, an interview with Suzanne Fawley
October 2018 ∘ Interview ∘
Learn about how the need for behavioral health furniture to encompass not only safety, but also comfort and beauty, why there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to behavioral health design, and how lessons learned from the hospitality field can inform designers working on behavioral health projects.
Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned about Behavioral and Mental Health
October 2018 ∘ Lessons Learned ∘
This list has been compiled based on research literature, case studies, interviews, and other materials to provide an overview of behavioral and mental health (BMH).  
Webinar

An Unconventional Approach to Integrating Behavioral Health Treatment and Research

October 2018 ∘ Webinar ∘
Born out of a vision from renowned child psychiatrist and human geneticist Dr. Matthew State, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Child, Teen & Family Center and Department of Psychiatry Building will be the first-ever UCSF facility for both pediatric and adult psychiatric patients and one of the first facilities in the U.S. to integrate the neurosciences with traditional psychiatry for child, adolescent and adult patient populations. The integration of these diverse disciplines under one roof will create a hub for research and training to advance the normalization, prevention and treatment of mental illness.
Blog

Behavioral Health Workshop 2017

September 2018 ∘ Blog ∘
Behavioral Health-Strategic Facility Design Innovations that Improve Treatment Outcomes, Safety and the Bottom Line

 
Webinar

The Medical Behavioral Unit: Enhancing Patient Safety and Experience Through Design
June 2018 ∘ Webinar ∘
With no known precedent, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia pursued a vision to develop a new pediatric patient care unit: one that would meet the requirements and licensure of an acute care unit, but would provide a safe and supportive environment for patients with a comorbid developmental, behavioral, or psychiatric diagnosis. A multidisciplinary team worked together to envision, plan, and design an environment to support a new model of care for this unique population. Key elements of the project—a remodel of an existing unit—include patient, family, and staff health; circadian lighting; biophilic design; and safety.
Webinar

Designing for Adolescents in Mental Health Crisis: A Story of Research, Innovation, and Hope
April 2018 ∘ Webinar ∘
Adolescence can be a tumultuous time in one’s life. Mental health conditions often surface during this stage, and it may be the first time that some patients enter an inpatient behavioral health unit. How can design best support this patient population that is transitioning from childhood to adulthood? Learn how a design team utilized research, Lean processes, and innovation to solve the challenges of this unique patient population for the 27-bed Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit in Tacoma, Wash. Find out how design can support a seclusion- and restraint-free care model and how pushing beyond the conventions of behavioral healthcare design was achieved.
Interview

The Design of a Psychiatric Clinic in Borås Sweden Strives to Create a "Healing" Environment, an interview with Stefan Lundin and Cristiana Caira
February 2018 ∘ Interview ∘
Learn about how the design of a new psychiatric facility strives to normalize mental illness through carefully chosen materials with the goal of creating a “homey,” non-institutional setting, why private patient rooms will be included in the new final building as an important part of the design concept, and how research helped shape the architects’ beliefs that the built environment should support patients’ dignity and independence as part of the recovery process.
Project Brief

Innovative Design Consolidates Diverse Behavioral Health Programs into One Comprehensive Center
February 2018 ∘ Project Brief ∘
Learn about how a county directive to relocate different behavioral health programs into one location led to a unique design for serving low to high-risk populations in an integrated facility, and how collaboration among the architect, interior designer, landscape architect, owner, staff, and clients played an integral role in shaping the programming and design.
Executive Summary

Design for Behavioral and Mental Health: More Than Just Safety
February 2018 ∘ Executive Summary ∘
Behavioral and mental health (BMH) conditions affect one in five adults in the United States each year, and are even more common among patients receiving care for medical conditions. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the spectrum of BMH conditions includes anxiety, attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and suicide, among others. Up to 45% of patients admitted to the hospital for a medical condition or presenting to the emergency department with a minor injury also have a concurrent BMH condition. These BMH comorbidities increase the risk of psychological harm associated with care.