Archives of Behavioral Health

ASHE Article on Bathroom Safety

We recently posted an article on ASHE’s HFM Magazine about safety in psychiatric inpatient bathrooms.  There is also a companion tool to help you evaluate existing facilities.  Follow the link below: https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/4328-performing-a-psychiatric-inpatient-bathroom-evaluation This link takes you straight to the tool: https://www.ashe.org/ligatureriskbh  
4 years ago

Asking WHY

Recently, my son’s girlfriend asked him to help her design and build a new “house” for her pet bird.  After he assured her that he (and I) would be happy to help, he asked her this question: “WHY do you want this new house and how will it make your and your bird’s life better?”  […]
4 years ago

Adding Value

During these challenging times, time is of the essence.  In healthcare, complicated decisions are made every day to keep patients, families and staff safe and supported.  No one in healthcare has extra time to deal with irrelevant or superficial things. I have sat in the CEO chair and dealt with strategic planning, daily operations, crises, […]
5 years ago

North Texas BCA talk with Kevin Turner and Dr. Trivedi

On October 2, I participated in a live discussion of design, art and mental health sponsored by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts.  The talk was moderated by Syeda Hasan, a reporter with KERA News.  My fellow discussant was Madhukar H. Trivedi, M.D., a researcher with UT Southwestern Medical Center.  We had a […]
5 years ago

Design and COVID-19 Lessons Learned

Maximizing occupancy and providing services to patients in need of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization has always been an operational priority for hospital leadership.  Prior to COVID-19, I have seen a lot of dual occupancy patient rooms, which is helpful for patients who are suicidal or desire social interactions.  I have also seen a lot of variability […]
5 years ago

COVID-19, Anxiety and Behavioral Health Access Points & Design

To be honest, we are all experiencing anxiety during these turbulent times.  Even for people who usually have healthy lifestyles and are well adjusted in life, and even for people who are not anxious at baseline, there’s an undercurrent of anxiety.  We worry about our personal health, the health of our family, and the health […]
5 years ago

Behavioral Health Revenue Cycle & Design

Once upon I time, I was working on my Ph.D. and eagerly working three to four jobs at a time – as a clinician with psychiatric and brain injury patients across multiple settings.  In those days, I loved patient care, but I avoided “the suits” (aka, hospital administration) at all costs.  I had a naïve […]
5 years ago

Why Expertise Matters

As a designer who specializes in behavioral healthcare spaces, one of my most difficult jobs is convincing people that you need an expert if you are going to get the most value out of your behavioral healthcare project. Most hospital facilities just hire the same designers that they are used to using and by now, […]
5 years ago