A holistic vision for treating people in mental health and substance abuse crisis

A holistic vision for treating people in mental health and substance abuse crisis

Darci Hernandez, AIA, LEED AP

As everyone in the healthcare industry knows, behavioral health and substance abuse disorders have been growing significantly in the country. In particular, the CDC has classified the latter as an epidemic. However, the healthcare systems’ ability to address and treat these disorders is still limited by access, capacity, and the episodic nature of the treatment and interventions.

This is why it was incredibly refreshing when Providence Health came to us with a vision of a center dedicated to treating and stabilizing people in mental health crisis, providing inpatient care if needed, or connecting them with other support services.

The existing Chemical Dependency Unit was upgraded to reflect the increased quality of care approach and destigmatization of substance abuse treatment. Focusing on the color and vibrancy of the atmosphere, the team balanced a warm, residential look within the clinical space to ensure patients experience comfort in a safe environment in which they will receive the treatment they need.