Designing for Dignity and Safety in Behavioral Health Spaces

Insights from HealthTrust Connect 2024

At HealthTrust Connect 2024, a standout panel session on behavioral health design explored how thoughtfully constructed spaces can improve patient outcomes and address safety in high-risk environments. The conversation was led by Kelly Spies, Director of Interior Design at Stengel Hill, and Vicki Franklin, Customer Strategy Manager for Healthcare at Grainger – two experts approaching behavioral health from complementary angles of design and product strategy.

With mental healthcare needs continuing to rise and emergency departments under strain, in-patient facilities are increasingly focused on designing environments that meet both clinical and emotional well-being.

Incorporating Elements that Promote Comfort

During the panel, Spies emphasized the value of creating individualized spaces that help patients feel seen and respected. “They wanted to feel human,” she said of patients in a recent adolescent behavioral health project. Her team addressed this by designing custom signage with icons like kites, clouds and surfboards outside each room to create a sense of identity and ownership.

However, choosing colors can come with nuances. “Color is in the eye of the beholder. A patient could hate orange because their dad made them wear orange pants,” Spies said. “These patients are going through the hardest time of their lives, so we can’t overlook the little things that make them feel safe.”

Other elements like sound, lighting and furnishings influence not just safety but also comfort and mental well-being. “Acoustics are huge,” Spies noted. “When you’re in a unit and it’s loud, people with mental health [issues] can’t focus.”

Her firm worked with both current and former patients to understand what made them feel at ease. This resulted in the use of hybrid flooring with high sound absorption, acoustic ceiling panels shaped like tree canopies and natural light. Furniture design has also evolved. Furnishings like soft, tamper-resistant gaming chairs and clear molded furniture, for example, can prevent concealment of objects while also creating an aesthetic and clean environment.

Preventing Safety Risks

During the panel, Franklin focused on the sobering reality of behavioral health safety risks. “Three of every four inpatient suicides occur in the patient bathroom, bedroom or closet,” she shared. Showing an image of a typical hospital bathroom, she illustrated the risks by asking attendees to count the ligature points. “It may look fine, however there are actually over 30 problems in this image,” she stated.

Franklin explained the need for specialized products like ligature-resistant toilets, continuous hinges and polycarbonate light fixtures. She also described how hospitals are adapting emergency departments to better manage behavioral health crises, often creating “safe rooms” or adding behavioral health-specific units nearby.

Healing Through Holistic Design

The session concluded with a message calling for collaboration and practicality. “No environment of care can be totally safe and free of risk,” Franklin quoted from the Behavioral Health Design Guide. “But staff awareness, along with thoughtful design and understanding patient behavior can make all the difference.”

Together, Spies and Franklin demonstrated how to create care environments that reduce harm, help patients feel respected, and support their well-being. As Spies summed up, “There’s no right or wrong way – just a safe way, and a way that works for your patients.”

Join us at HealthTrust Connect 2025

The conversation at HealthTrust Connect 2024 challenged conventional thinking – proving that behavioral health design isn’t just about safety, it’s about dignity, trust, and healing.

Want to be a part of what’s next? HealthTrust Connect returns November 2-3, 2025, in Nashville. Don’t miss your chance to hear from national experts, see innovative solutions, and connect with peers reimagining behavioral health environments.

Learn more and request and invitation at go.healthtrustpg.com/healthtrust-connect-2025.