Designing Mental Health Facilities: An Interactive Process

Program and funding changes in mental health service delivery in the past 15 years have resulted in ever-changing demands on the use of physical space in mental health facilities. An interactive planning process facilitated by a multidisciplinary design team can anticipate and address many difficulties with space utilization in construction or renovation. An architectural feasibility study, including a careful definition of user requirements, is a useful document for facilitating intraagency communication, securing external funding, and moving capital projects to completion.