By Alexandria Lewis / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

All patients deserve the chance for healing – but there’s still a stigma around mental healthcare. Now is the time to address that stigma. Providers have an opportunity to affirm the vital role mental health plays in our overall health. From our approach to care, right down to the colors on our walls and the chairs we sit in, we can show our patients that their mental health matters and is worth treating.   

At Virginia Treatment Center for Children (VTCC), these principles influenced every step of designing and constructing our new treatment facility. VTCC is the child and adolescent division of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Psychiatry. As the mental health provider for Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, we also offer access to comprehensive healthcare services, ensuring our patients receive complete care for the whole-child.

VTCC serves the mental health needs of children and families throughout Virginia. Unfortunately, the need is significant. Currently, only 1 in 5 children here receive the mental healthcare they need. By building a new facility, we knew that we not only could provide care to more children, but also we could provide the right type of care: individualized, compassionate, effective and empowering.

Our previous, 50-year-old facility could not support this updated approach to care. With funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the generosity of private donors, we secured the capital to build a modern facility that would create a welcoming, healing environment. These contributions sent a clear message that the mental health of children in Virginia is a priority – and that seeking mental health care is not only acceptable, but also encouraged. With funding in line, VTCC representatives traveled across the country to gather ideas and inspiration from other leading mental health providers.

VTCC was intentional in realizing our vision too, choosing an architectural design firm and construction partner with experience in behavioral healthcare facilities. We had several key considerations. First, because our mission includes research and education, our facility needed spaces where we could train children's mental health providers and conduct research to enhance treatment and prevention.  

We also wanted to ensure that the facility served a variety of audiences – not only our patients, clinicians and staff, but also families, medical students and members of the community. Working closely with our partners, we designed a family-centered, innovative and collaborative facility.

Family focused

At VTCC, we build relationships with both patients and their families, because we believe that real change happens for children within the family unit. We designed our new facility to accommodate and encourage family interaction and participation throughout the course of treatment.

One of the first priorities is 24/7 visitation for parents. VTCC is a leader in this practice, and we think it makes a vital, bold statement: we believe in openness and collaborative problem-solving. Parents have ease of mind, and they see for themselves that we live by our promise of aggression-free, seclusion-free patient care.

Each inpatient bedroom includes a large window seat that doubles as an extra bed if a parent wishes to stay the night. Parents also have their own restroom and lounge area to use while in the facility.  Additionally, observation rooms are available for parents to participate in the diagnostic and growth process.

When patients are ready to leave the facility, we offer a fully functioning pharmacy on site, so that families don’t have to make an additional stop before going home. VTCC also operates an onsite children’s mental health resource center. Anyone in the community can pick up literature or speak to a specialist about any concerns or questions they have.

Collaboration

The heart of our facility is a two-story “collaborative core.” This space houses all offices for our clinical professionals, patient advocates, nurses, physicians, social workers and trainees. It also offers several formal meeting areas, corner enclaves with whiteboards for jotting down ideas and smaller spaces for quick conversations. In the collaborative core, we are only steps away from everything in the facility, including inpatient and outpatient areas. We can be responsive and flexible as needs and opportunities arise.

The research arm of VTCC, Commonwealth Institute for Children and Family Studies, also has 1,100 square feet of space in the new facility. It’s adjacent to clinical space, making it easy to work collaboratively. Researchers, clinicians and other staff can host or attend in-person or virtual meetings, trainings and other learning opportunities. Its videoconferencing capabilities support telepsychiatry for outpatients and telemedicine for inpatients who need a medical consult.

Even the facility’s classrooms serve multiple purposes and audiences. During the day, we run a full K-12 school, available to inpatients. This not only allows patients to stay engaged in their education, but teachers can be part of care teams. After the school day, others can use the classrooms for family meetings and groupwork with patients. Similarly, the half-court gym converts to an auditorium and space for larger group meetings, trainings and special events.

Innovation

One of our favorite aspects of designing a brand-new facility was the opportunity to completely rethink the way a mental health facility could look. The décor, features and furniture all work to engage the senses and enhance the care we provide.

We started with earth tones to create a sense of familiarity and stability, then added brighter complementary colors. Green, the primary color of nature, suggests balance, harmony and renewal. Turquoise suggests a pure, fresh environment and soothes tension and stress. Purple hues, associated with creativity, stimulate cerebral activity.

We also used design to create a sense of airy openness, rather than confinement. Large glass walls, windows and a high roofline let bright, natural light pour in.  

A variety of courtyards are available to meet the needs of different audiences, including an outdoor space for outpatients and families; a meditation courtyard with a maze where patients can explore and do arts and crafts; and larger courtyards where patients can run, play and swing. Staff also have their own outdoor space, where they can take a moment to relax and re-center themselves.

Other healing spaces incorporate music, art, nature and learning. Inpatient bedrooms, adjacent to small courtyards, can include soothing, piped-in music. And a versatile inpatient therapy mall accommodates occupational, recreational, art, music and play therapy.  

Our design strikes that critical balance of safety and comfort. We installed cameras throughout the facility, as well as a touchpoint badge alert system that allows staff to request immediate assistance at any time and be located immediately. All doors, furniture and fixtures were chosen to minimize the chance for patients to self-harm. However, the general feel of the inpatient rooms and common areas is “upscale dorm.”

Each patient has their own bathroom, a key measure of privacy – but also can enjoy socializing and recreation time in a common area. Flat-screen televisions and tables with inlaid games are bolted down, but they’re available. And, while bedroom furniture is weighted, it also was chosen for comfort and style.

Finally, woven throughout the facility is our symbol: the butterfly. Beautiful, graceful and iconic, their ability to transform themselves reflects our deepest wishes for every patient.

 Alexandria “Sandy” Lewis, Ed. D, Executive Director of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children (VTCC).