Insights
Dec 13, 2022 _ insights
Space for Healing: Providing Patients Resources to Cope
Quality milieu (a collection of therapeutic settings) at multiple scales is often lacking in behavioral health environments. By focusing on a more individualistic approach, we can lower patient stress and improve outcomes. It is imperative to move beyond providing a day room and a few basic group rooms on units. My presentation for the Center for Healthcare Design’s, Behavioral Health Workshop shared how salutogenic elements can be applied in design to provide therapeutic spaces that promote wellness.
The session’s learning objectives included:
- The variety and types of milieu needed to reduce patient aggression and promote engagement in treatment to promote safety and stress reduction for patients and staff.
- Understanding the role of the inpatient unit in the spectrum of patient care including how treatment is enhanced through features in the built environment.
- Naming specific design and program elements that reduce patient escalation and how this contributes to improved patient outcomes.
- Understanding how milieu supports strategies to enable families to engage in programming, interact with staff, and develop their skill set.
The discussion covered the value of designing for social choice, and participants learned how design for wellness complements operational strategies and increases the effectiveness of the treatment. You can view my full presentation here.
Read Angela’s insight on milieu here.
Read more about Cincinnati Children’s new College Hill Behavioral Health Center and its progress toward completion. Read news coverage about this project here and here.
Angela Mazzi FAIA, FACHA, EDAC is a principal at GBBN. Harnessing studies on human psychology, research on our biological need for nature, a focus on clinical workspaces, and experience with Lean strategies, Angela creates exceptional environments that empower patients and practitioners. She regularly presents and publishes her research in industry and peer reviewed journals and is sought out by Healthcare Design Magazine, the New York Times, and other publications to share her healthcare expertise with their readers.
