To address mental health needs in the Denver community and reduce loads on local jails and hospitals, the Mental Health Center of Denver and the City and County of Denver collaborated to create the Behavioral Health Solutions Center. This new facility offers patients a safe place to recover with an option to extend their stay, unlike the walk-in recovery clinics limited to 24-hour stays.
360 Engineering provided mechanical and plumbing engineering services to renovate approximately 30,000 square feet of an existing building with the Davis Partnership Architects design team. Programmatic components for the Solutions Center include a crisis clinic and a 30-day transitional residence. The crisis clinic on the garden level consists of 6 consumer rooms for a 23-hour stay and 16 crisis stabilization rooms for stays up to 5 days. There are private toilets and a triage nurse station, and a medical exam room. The 30-day transitional residence consists of 25-30 beds on the upper level for the use of up to 30-days. There’s also a fitness room, kitchen, dining facility, and community rooms.
Our team included additional safety measures in the design to minimize unsafe conditions and mitigate self-harm, such as ligature-resistant plumbing fixtures and air devices, and meeting the I-2 occupancy code for portions of the facility. Ultimately, the Solutions Center offers a functional flow and an environment of safety and dignity for staff and users.
