Healing by Design: Why Environment Matters in Behavioral Healthcare

When people think about mental health treatment, they often think about doctors, therapists, medications, and counseling. While those things are essential, another factor plays a powerful role in recovery: the environment itself.

For people going through a mental health crisis, the space around them can affect how safe, comfortable, and supported they feel. Studies show that well-designed behavioral health spaces can support healing by lowering stress, helping people sleep better, and encouraging them to take part in treatment.

Therapeutic spaces

This idea is guiding how Riverside Healthcare is planning for the future of behavioral healthcare. While many hospitals are cutting back on behavioral health services, Riverside is investing nearly $30 million to expand and update its inpatient behavioral health units. The project started in fall 2025 and will turn units built in 1973 into modern, therapeutic spaces for today’s patients.

Thoughtful details

Modern behavioral healthcare recognizes that recovery is influenced not only by clinical treatment, but also by the environment in which that treatment occurs. That’s why every detail of Riverside’s redesign has been carefully considered, from more private patient rooms and specialized spaces for geriatric patients to calming colors and flexible layouts that better support individual treatment needs.

A standout feature of the new units is a lighting system that copies natural daylight. This circadian lighting will get brighter during the day and dimmer at night, helping patients keep healthy sleep patterns, which is important for mental health and recovery.

“When someone needs inpatient care, it’s often because they are at one of the most vulnerable moments in their life,” says Rebecca Schiltz, Vice President of Post-Acute Services. “They deserve a space that helps them feel safe, respected, and supported as they begin the healing process.”

Expected to be completed in 2027, the project demonstrates Riverside’s commitment to ensuring individuals and families have access to high-quality behavioral healthcare close to home in an environment designed to promote healing, dignity, and hope.

Click here for more information on Behavioral Health at Riverside.