Levels of Supervision for Behavioral Health EnvironmentsTuesday, January 17, 2023
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From intake to therapy to discharge, Behavioral Health treatment transpires in a variety of different settings. Depending on the level of need and the severity of the diagnosis, patients also require varying levels of supervision in different phases of therapy — and therapy itself can vary from patient to patient, impacting how often the patient interacts with peers, as well as how much security and observation are needed to keep the patient safe. As such, Behavioral Healthcare spaces typically fall into one of five different general levels of supervision — each informing its own specific setting type and corresponding standards for products supporting it. These levels were originally developed by James M. Hunt, AIA, founder of Behavioral Health Facility Consulting, and referenced by Kimberly McMurray, AIA, principal with BHFC Design. At Stance Behavioral Health, we follow these levels as our guide to determine what types of Stance furniture fits best in each type of space. Maximum Supervision, or Level I: These spaces are restricted, staff-only areas that the patient never enters. These could be staff rooms for respite or collaborative spaces for consultation and meetings. Stance Behavioral Health offers a variety of durable and well-designed product lines that can fill out these rooms and fit any aesthetic. Our Accent Chairs, Disc Base Tables, Trumpet Base Tables, Valet Lounge Chairs, and Verity Lounge Chairs are great for Level 1 spaces and help provide the perfect mix of form and function for the healthcare staff to enjoy.
It’s suggested that the tables in these spaces do not have individual legs at the corners. Our Disc Base multi-purpose tables, Flo tables, and a variety of Drum tables work well in these spaces since they have a pedestal instead of legs. They are also weighted for added safety to prevent them from being thrown or stacked. Our Gibraltar line of laminate casegoods offers bookshelves and cabinets for Level III spaces, keeping patients’ needs, safety, and wellness in mind.
Minimal Supervision, or Level IV: These areas are places where patients spend a great deal of time alone with minimal or no supervision, such as patient rooms (semi-private and private) and patient toilets. It’s important for furniture in these areas to be safe, comforting, and secure, minimizing the potential for patient harm. Stance Behavioral Health offers a variety of thoughtful seating, storage and bedding options to fit the needs of patients in these spaces.
Our Flo Chair and Frontier Chair + Desk set give patients a place for rest in the privacy of their own room, while the Frontier Wardrobe and Frontier Cabinet provide safe, secure, and versatile storage options. The Frontier Mattress is designed specifically for behavioral health spaces and helps provide a safe, comfortable place for rest and respite in Level IV areas.
General Areas, or Level V: These are areas where staff interact with newly admitted patients who present potential unknown risks, or where patients may be in a highly agitated condition. As a result, these areas fall outside the parameters of the environmental risk map and require special considerations for the safety of patients and staff. Level V areas include admission rooms, seclusion rooms, and restraint rooms.
While patient safety and well-being are always top of mind in everything we do, it’s increasingly important to understand what that means in the different areas of a Behavioral Health facility. The solutions above reflect general recommendations found in the Behavioral Health Design Guide, and none are free of risk. While there are no official guidelines for Behavioral Health facilities, it is up to each facility to determine its level of risk and specify the appropriate furnishings for its needs. To learn more about all of our different furniture options available for Behavioral Health spaces, visit stancebh.com today.
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Improved Comfort & Flexibility for FloWednesday, November 9, 2022
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A New Look For Flo
The Flo multi-purpose chair is a seamless and safe design that encourages the user to sit back and relax in Behavioral Health spaces. Stance Behavioral Health has increased the comfort and flexibility of this popular award-winning collection with the introduction of upholstered seats and back pads for the ergonomically designed Flo chair. Alongside 6 soothing color finishes, the seat and back pads allow for another layer of customization by using healthcare-grade fabrics to add a pop of color or emphasize calmness. Paired with the Flo table, which provides durable versatility with its seamless laminate surfaces and pick-proof molded polyurethane edges, this collection allows users to dine safely in comfort or participate in group therapy in shared, intensive use spaces.
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When it comes to furniture for healthcare, today’s evolving medical settings require something different from room to room. For example, a counseling office might prioritize comfort, while other facilities encounter more at-risk patients, and as a result should emphasize safety and durability. At Stance, we accept the challenge to create products that perform in any environment, from emergency departments (EDs) to therapeutic facilities — and our broad offering of features, textures, and specifications reflect that range.
In recent years, our expertise in Behavioral Health product development specifically has grown alongside rising global demand for mental and Behavioral Health services. And in just the past couple of years of the “COVID era” in particular, this demand has impacted emergency departments. That is at a time when specialized BH facilities might be at capacity, lack the security or protocols to provide support for psychiatric crises, or be otherwise inaccessible to patients. For facility planners, and the healthcare product suppliers like Stance that support them, this uptick in mental and Behavioral Health patient traffic presents a timely opportunity to apply Behavioral Health standards to today’s ERs.
Above all, emergency departments should strive to support the safety and well-being of patients and staff experiencing Behavioral Health treatment. We can help achieve that end with products that are comforting and strong, and placed with intention throughout the environment. However, furniture is just one of several elements that work together to provide a supportive, efficient Behavioral Health intake in emergency settings.
In addition to the products in such a space, facility planners and designers should consider the end-to-end experience of the patients, care providers, and visitors who use the space. Some key considerations include:
By applying these principles to emergency room settings, these departments are well positioned to best serve the growing number of Behavioral Health patients looking for treatment in EDs.
Beyond the ED: Levels of Supervision for Behavioral Health Environments
From intake to therapy to discharge, Behavioral Health treatment transpires in a variety of different settings. We just discussed what the intake and evaluation of such patients can look like in an emergency department setting. Depending on the level of need and severity of the diagnosis, patients require varying levels of supervision in different phases of therapy — and therapy itself can vary from patient to patient, impacting how often the patient interacts with peers, and how much security and observation is needed to keep the patient safe. As such, there are generally five different levels of supervision that Behavioral Healthcare spaces fall into — each of them informing their own different types of settings and corresponding standards for products supporting them. Using these levels as our guide, we can help determine what types of Stance furniture fits best in each type of space.
While patient safety and well-being is always top of mind in everything we do, it’s increasingly important to understand what that means in the different areas of a Behavioral Health facility. The solutions above reflect general recommendations found in the Behavioral Health Design Guide, and none are free of risk. It is up to each facility to determine their level of risk and specify the appropriate furnishings for their needs. To learn more about all of our different furniture options available for Behavioral Health spaces, visit stancebh.com today.
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There’s a Seat for You: Supporting Warm, Welcoming Telehealth Settings for Behavioral HealthMonday, September 19, 2022
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With more and more patients taking advantage of virtual therapy sessions, how can Stance continue to support these new types of care environments? Suzanne Fawley, our Behavioral Health Interior Designer, offers the following tips to create comfortable, calming environments for telehealth appointments:
“I find it interesting that, following an era of forced separation in the height of COVID, we are now living in an era dominated by virtual meetings,” says Suzanne. “Adding to the sense of separateness are the virtual backgrounds and the fuzzy filters many people use. And for telehealth appointments especially, this may convey an artificial persona and inhibit connection. But with just a few changes, we have an opportunity in healthcare to rebuild that interpersonal connection by ‘warming up’ our approach to telehealth spaces. When we support a more inviting virtual space, patients can log in and envision themselves taking a seat and becoming comfortable – more like they were there in person.”
By using these tips and working with an experienced healthcare design team, providers can achieve a supportive, trusted space for consultative therapy. We appreciate Suzanne sharing these insights with us. Want to hear more from Suzanne? You can catch her on this topic and more during her upcoming appearance at this year’s Healthcare Design Expo + Conference in San Antonio. Check out her session information here – and make sure to find the Stance team at our booth and say hello as well!
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Stance Behavioral Health’s Fortress line improves its versatilityMonday, August 15, 2022
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Fortress collection features simple functionality, plus the power to customize for your setting.
Durable, safe, and versatile. The Fortress collection delivers on all counts, and Stance Behavioral Health's popular furniture line has improved on its appeal with an expansion of a platform bed with a built-in bedside table.
The brand’s casegood collections expanded to four varieties of platform beds, including one in the Fortress line. Its variations include models with rounded corners, as well as attached side tables on either left or right side. Optional add-ons include bolt-to-floor brackets and restraint hoops.
In 2022, Stance added four new laminate colors to broaden the appeal of this collection: Aria, Dolce Vita, Palomino, and White Chocolate. Stance Behavioral Health provides custom solutions for this series too, and such personalization can foster a warm and natural fit in any decor and surroundings.
These casegoods convey residential warmth, with the patient and staff well-being prioritized. Central to this objective, having the comfort and quality of a Fortress bed with a place to put essential belongings is convenient and adds to the user’s comfort. A surface area for various uses helps provide peace of mind and a sense of normalcy for patients, all while helping the room remain organized and inviting.
Because of its functionality in various settings, the Fortress collection has become popular in many homeless shelters. The pieces convey a sense of comfort and home for the resident while providing safety and practicality for those who work in the same environment. Stance Behavioral Health also produces a mattress for the bed in this four-piece collection, which includes a separate bedside table, a desk, and a wardrobe. The cabinet pieces also come in optional versions without doors and shelving only.
Stance Behavioral Health builds the Fortress line in-house, providing for a shorter lead time of 5 to 6 weeks, which is excellent by industry standards (6 to 8 weeks.)
The Fortress series comes with a limited lifetime warranty. All drawers are removable only with a special tool. (Stance Behavioral Health offers models without drawers, too.) All pieces have ligature-resistant features, including continuous hinges and inset pulls. The wardrobe also features a ligature-resistant j-bar, a popular addition. Cabinet tops are an inch thick and flush-mounted to hinder handling of the unit, and each piece includes reinforced joints with double-dowel construction for long life and durability.
Buyers can request custom finishes and dimensions on Fortress furniture, too. Each piece has the capability of wall bolting if that’s needed in your particular space. There are options available for lock types on all units, too.
Discover the Fortress collection's features and customizable options by visiting Stancebh.com. |
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Stance Behavioral Health: Supporting Healing Through Better Healthcare EnvironmentsWednesday, May 25, 2022
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Our Behavioral Health products provide calm, comfort and capability.
Flo Tables and Chairs With its clean, organic lines, soothing color options, and finishes – like laminate tabletops – Flo Tables and Chairs provide a calming aesthetic that invites users to relax while dining or meeting. The durable collection has a seamless design, with corners and edges rounded for increased safety.
“Flo is unique in that, whether for dining or multi-use settings, it brings a sense of normalcy to the user experience,” said Suzanne Fawley, Stance Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Interior Designer. “Its comfortable, seamless design is easy to maintain and keep clean, while also encouraging the user to sit back and relax. Perhaps most importantly for Behavioral Health settings, Flo’s tables and chairs are weighted with rounded corners, supporting a safe environment for patients, caregivers and visitors.”
Fortress Bed with Built-In Bedside Table A standout of Stance Behavioral Health’s Fortress line is the platform bed with a built-in left- or right-integrated bedside table and standard bolt-to-floor hardware. Having the comfort and quality of a Fortress bed with a place to put important things and a surface area for a variety of uses helps provide patients peace of mind and a sense of normalcy, while also helping the room remain organized and inviting.
As an added bonus, and a testament to the versatility of Stance Behavioral Health furniture, our Flo chair can be utilized with the coordinating Fortress desk – working together to help make the time in healthcare more positive for patients and visitors.
Verity Lounge Chair Providing care, comfort and durability while still looking great is hard work. But the Verity Lounge Chair, one of the hardest working chairs in healthcare, makes it look easy. By merging modern comfort with unmatched durability, the Verity Lounge Chair offers a soft, home-like aesthetic capable of withstanding the wear, tear, and abuse of high-use environments. It does that while still maintaining a welcoming presence that invites users to lounge for extended periods of time.
“I always say that Verity is our ‘beast of a beauty’. Its soft lines and beautiful, modern design are what catch the eye – but it’s the collection’s remarkable durability that makes Verity a standout,” said Fawley. “You would never know how strong Verity is by simply looking at it, and that’s why it’s one of my favorite collections.”
Follow our blog, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on product releases, get the latest information on our workshops, courses and webinars, and learn more about how Stance Behavioral Health is designing with mental health in mind.
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Make More Of Your Multi-Use Spaces With The Flo SeriesMonday, May 16, 2022
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Stance Behavioral Health’s Flo Collection Invites a Sense of Calm and Normalcy for Dining, and Multi-Use Behavioral Health Settings.
“Flo is unique in that, whether for dining or multi-use settings, it brings a sense of normalcy to the user experience,” said Suzanne Fawley, Stance Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Interior Designer. “Its comfortable, seamless design is easy to maintain and keep clean, while also encouraging the user to sit back and relax. Perhaps most importantly for Behavioral Health settings, Flo’s table and chairs are weighted with rounded corners, supporting a safe environment for patients, caregivers and visitors.”
There are even more options in the Flo line to make multi-use spaces more welcoming for everyone. We will be expanding this series next year with a wider, armed lounge version of the Flo chair. Be on the lookout for more information. Another addition coming soon is our optional dining chairs, with supportive backs. Ligature resistance is a top priority for rotationally molded furniture in many behavioral health spaces. The back of our Flo chairs flow seamlessly into the arms, creating a direct angle that is both comfortable and safe. With the option of being weighted for added safety, this feature reduces stress and minimizes the opportunities for self-harm.
Flo’s tabletops provide durable versatility with their seamless laminate surfaces and pick-proof molded polyurethane edges to deter dirt collection. They are assembled using multi-core composite construction with encapsulated fasteners for superior strength.
The entire Flo collection is ergonomically designed for comfort, with the Behavioral Health patient experience squarely in focus. By providing patients with comfortable, beautiful and safe furniture in a dining or other group environment, Flo supports an overall environment that resembles that of post-treatment life – and thus supports their preparatory journey to discharge.
Learn more about our Flo Dining Collection for Behavioral Health here. |
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Spotlight On: Oasis Glider For Behavioral HealthTuesday, May 3, 2022
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Stance Behavioral Health’s Oasis Glider highlights the value of movement in Behavioral Health environments.
As stewards of thoughtful design, Stance Behavioral Health understands as well as anyone how furniture can affect the well-being of patients in Behavioral Health settings. And the Oasis Glider reflects that understanding perfectly. It’s a solid, heavy-duty glider that stays secure to the ground to enable patient movement, without moving and causing damage to your facility’s floor – resulting in a safer, sturdier alternative to the traditional rocking chair that offers the soothing comfort and therapeutic benefits of movement.
Traditionally, the benefits of movement have rarely been utilized outside of elderly care, but the benefits of movement in Behavioral Health settings cannot and should not be underestimated. Motion promotes relaxation and comfort, while reducing stress and decreasing the need for anxiety and depression medication, and supporting a more pleasant patient experience overall.
The Oasis Glider is available for general healthcare settings, but its benefits are best experienced in a Behavioral Health environment – where standards are transitioning from institutional furnishings to more intentional furnishings that support safe and comforting environments.
If you’re interested in moving forward with a new approach to Behavioral Health furnishings and want to learn more about the benefits of the Stance Behavioral Health Oasis Glider, click here. |
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Spotlight On: Onward Bench for Behavioral HealthTuesday, March 1, 2022
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When selecting furniture for Behavioral Health settings, designers and facility planners are always looking for products that go beyond simply satisfying safety requirements. Our Onward Bench for Behavioral Health is a perfect example of such a product, as a multi-use bench that is comfortable and versatile, in addition to being safe for patients, care providers, and visitors.
The Onward Bench for Behavioral Health offers a sturdy and clean design with its fully welded metal structural framework. Ideal for the dynamic uses of Behavioral Health treatment settings, Onward can be used in a variety of settings: as seating in a general waiting area or corridor wait spaces, as a safe, quiet personal space for a patient, or as a comfortable, relaxed option for patients and care providers in a therapy session. The bench is a safe and durable option for many different high-use settings, from concierge addiction recovery centers to prison and detainment environments.
Our Onward benches are built to the highest standard of quality in the industry and can be easily renewed in the field to maintain a fresh environment. With durability to withstand use, abuse and the test of time, Onward exceeds the BIFMA Seating Durability test to 500lbs. per bench, and comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty.
Adding to its versatility, Onward features three sizes: 31”, 42”, 63”, optional moisture barrier, and replaceable seat cushions if needed. The bench can also be bolted to the floor for added safety.
The Onward Bench is part of our Onward for Behavioral Health lounge series, which also includes lounge chairs in three sizes. Stance Behavioral Health is pleased to offer a growing portfolio of safe, durable, comfortable furniture products. Learn more at https://stancebh.com/. |
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Unexpected Durability: Spotlight on the Beautiful Yet Tough Verity Lounge CollectionThursday, December 9, 2021
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When it comes to selecting furniture for Behavioral Health environments, durability is a top priority for facility decision-makers. As a result, furniture for such high-use areas like BH treatment facilities has typically offered function – and neglected form, favoring sturdiness over something aesthetically pleasing or comfortable. But what if there was a product that offered it all? Enter: Verity for Behavioral Health, our lounge series that merges modern comfort with unmatched durability.
Now offered with a choice of metal legs or extended arms to the floor for Behavioral Health, our Verity series offers a soft, homelike aesthetic that brings a sense of warmth and comfort to any healthcare space. Every touch point on the lounge series features rounded edges, making it ideal for high-use environments. But underneath its attractive appeal is the unexpected sturdiness that withstands wear, tear and abuse – making it a unique offering in the healthcare furniture marketplace.
“I always say that Verity is our ‘beast of a beauty’. Its soft lines and beautiful, modern design are what catch the eye – but it’s the collection’s remarkable durability that makes Verity a standout,” said Suzanne Fawley, Stance Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Interior Designer. “You would never know how strong Verity is by simply looking at it, and that’s why it’s one of my favorite collections.”
The full family of the Verity collection is available in custom finishes and includes a recliner and sleep chairs. In addition to its strength and attractive aesthetic, Verity offers many configuration options, making it perfectly suited for both general and Behavioral Health settings where users will lounge for extended periods of time. The sleek collection is also highly cleanable, with concealed clean-out space between the seat and back.
From surgical suite waiting areas, to public spaces and therapeutic settings, Verity is ideal for general healthcare and Behavioral Health environments. Learn more about Verity’s general healthcare collection here and our Behavioral Health offering here. |
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