February 21, 2012 By James M. Hunt, AIA
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Patient bathrooms present significant challenges in regard to design and patient safety. The Joint Commission and other authorities have identified patient bathrooms as being one of the highest risk locations for inpatient suicides in behavioral health facilities.
February 14, 2012 News release
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The Design Guide for the Built Environment of Behavioral Health Facilities: Edition 5.0 includes a new and improved Appendix 5.0 to help locate resources by product description and by manufacturer.
January 26, 2012 Dennis Grantham, Editor-in-Chief
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For some individuals with psychiatric disorders, feeling ‘at home’ in the mental health treatment environment is everything. Bridges to Recovery offers comprehensive mental health treatment in a uniquely personal, high-end home-based environment.
November 15, 2011 James M. Hunt
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The focus on suicide prevention and patient safety in behavioral health treatment environments has led designers to include more elements that could be seen as “institutional,” or even “prison like.” Yet, designers know that more patient-centered designs can have a positive effect on a patient's self-perception, sense of well being, and healing.
May 25, 2011 Compiled by BH staff
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For the third year, Behavioral Healthcare invited design firms and provider organizations to submit innovative building projects for review in our annual Design for Health and Human Services Showcase.
May 25, 2011 Karen M. Mahar, MA, LEED AP
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Two years ago, Camillus House in Miami, Fla., was ready to break ground on a new seven-building campus designed to hold 340 beds for short-term housing, residential treatment, medical respite, and permanent, low-demand housing for persons with severe mental illness, addiction, and/or serious medical disabilities.
May 25, 2011 Terry Hatcher, PE and Timothy F. Winstead, AIA LEED AP
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During the late 1990s, in the midst of planning a single project to replace one of four psychiatric hospitals operated by the State of North Carolina, an ambitious idea emerged.
May 25, 2011 Dennis G. Grantham, Editor-in-Chief
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An award-winning behavioral health facility design, like an outstanding advance in clinical knowledge, reflects elegant thinking and design.
March 31, 2011 Nick Zubko, Associate Editor
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For patients at risk for self-harm, ensuring safety can be difficult. Since the majority of suicide attempts involve using makeshift ligatures to hang from doors or door hardware, the entrance to any room is a key consideration for mental health facilities.
March 1, 2011 Nick Zubko, Associate Editor
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As facilities continue to shift away from elements deemed “institutional” in appearance, demand has grown considerably for furniture that is not only built with safety and durability in mind, but also with a sense of style.
January 1, 2011 Joseph Doherty, A.I.A., LEED AP and Jon E. Sell
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Merging best practices in behavioral health treatment with best practices in design, the industry is moving away from conventional design approaches to create hospital facilities with a more residential environment.
December 3, 2010 News release
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As new products have become available to assist psychiatric and addiction treatment facilities in improving safety, the authors of a highly regarded reference guide on the built environment in behavioral health facilities have issued an update (4.1) edition of this online resource.
