St. Joseph’s Health Centre Mental Health Short Stay and PICU
The St. Joseph’s Health Centre Mental Health department includes an Emergency Services Unit (MHESU), Psychiatric Care Unit (PICU) and a Mental Health Short Stay unit (MHSS). These secured patient care areas required immediate remedial work and alterations to improve the quality and safety of the patient care environment.
The Short Stay unit addresses the short-term psychiatric needs of individuals that require hospital treatment for up to a maximum of 8 days. Short Stay assists individuals in achieving their treatment goals. The area accommodates 6 beds with various group or interview areas. The Psychiatric Intensive Care unit addresses the short-term psychiatric needs of individuals that show a higher level of risk. The unit has 6 private rooms.
David Carter Architects worked closely with St. Joe’s redevelopment and clinical teams through an intensive user engagement process to develop design solutions for the project that prioritized staff and patient safety. Detailed design requirements included aesthetic upgrades to improve the quality of the environment and to reduce ligature risk throughout the patient care area. The project included washroom fixture replacement, lighting upgrades, door replacement and behavioral door installation, anti-ligature door hardware, equipment, fixtures and grills.
