Characteristics of the Facility
Safe and effective assessment and treatment of patients with severe behavior disorders necessitates a specialized physical plan. The list below outlines recommended safety features for the facility.
Severe Behavior Programming Space Safety Features
In addition to the following information, it is recommended that groups planning to develop a severe behavior program tour an existing program to see the safety features first hand.
- Considerations for drop-off area and program location, such as minimal distance from drop-off area to program entrance
- Minimize hard surfaces
- Padding on protruding surfaces or corners
- Elevated door handles with combination locks on doors leading to unprotected areas
- Plexiglass-covered lights and windows
- Tamper-resistant electrical outlets
- Hardwood covers with rounded corners on the heating outlets and thermostat
- Recessed fluorescent lights with Lexan covers
- Acrovyn on walls in public patient areas such as playrooms and hallways
Observation Rooms
- Glass for one-way observation should allow light to travel into but not out of the observation room
- Paint observation room walls gray or other light-absorbing color
- Soundproof walls
- Install a 14-in wide counter under the observation window to hold laptop computers
- Install electrical outlets across the front of each counter
- Place monitor connected to in-room camera on counter
- Install storage shelves on back wall of room
- Button for dead-man lock to allow therapist in observation room to lock treatment room door when needed
Treatment Rooms
- Install video camera in each treatment room for remote observation and recording of sessions
- Cover walls and doors with 2-inch thick foam pad
- The ceiling should be durable drywall (no ceiling tiles)
- Cover vents with hardwood or Lexan with rounded corners
- Cover glass with Lexan
- Pad floors
Video and Sound Requirements
- Install video camera in each treatment room for remote observation and recording of sessions
- Option for headphones on sound output in observation rooms when sessions are occurring simultaneously in both treatment rooms attached to a single observation room.
Click here for a more detailed description of characteristics of the facility.
Example of Playroom with Acrovyn on Walls
Example Layout
Example Treatment and Observation Room
Example Two-way Communication System and Dead-Man Lock Button
