Healing Spaces: Mental Health Design Dialogue

The Untapped Conversations in Behavioral Health - PART 2

This is PART 2 of our podcast on the untapped conversations in behavioral health, where Pineapple’s Daniel White delves into real-world behavioral health examples that don't always match the theory ... Joining him are HKS’s Rachael Rome, Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design & Studio Practice Leader of the Dallas Health Practice, and her colleague Martyna Falloni, Senior Medical Planner & Associate. Topics they cover in PART 2 include: * It’s not all forensic - so why do we design like it is? Are we accidentally traumatizing people who come in asking for help?  * Why do we (still?) accept uncomfortable environments as the price of safety? Let's challenge the long-standing assumption that for whatever reason, comfort equals risk.  * Does everything need to cost money? Are there any quick wins that we can make easily by having more thoughtful conversation and dialogue? Our Guests:  Rachael Rome, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LSSGB, LEED AP BD+C [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raerome/] Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design | Studio Practice Leader, Dallas Health Practice, HKS [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raerome/] Rachael Rome is Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design at HKS and a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health environments. She partners with health systems and institutions to translate complex clinical and operational needs into high-performance, evidence-based spaces that support safety, dignity, and healing. Her work spans the full continuum of care, from pediatric and outpatient settings to forensic facilities and medically complex inpatient units, with a strong focus on trauma-informed design and technical excellence. Rachael also advises on behavioral planning, simulation modeling, and long-range campus strategies, helping drive system-wide transformation through thoughtful, human-centered design. Through her leadership, Rachael continues to elevate mental and behavioral health design across the industry advancing integrated, human-centered spaces that promote resilience, equity, and hope. Martyna Falloni, ACHA, EDAC, LSSYB, AIA [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfalloni/] Senior Medical Planner, Associate, HKS [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfalloni/] Martyna’s goal is to create environments that put people first - because when they thrive, outcomes improve naturally. As a board-certified medical planner, Martyna is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through the creation of exceptional, safe environments for patients, staff, and caregivers. She brings particular focus to spaces that support children, thoughtfully accommodating their developmental, emotional, and safety needs. Leveraging expertise in Evidence-Based Design and Lean Six Sigma, she applies an analytical, human-centered approach to every project. Martyna works closely with interdisciplinary teams and clients to align design solutions with operational best practices, clinical effectiveness, and evidence-based strategies - driving measurable improvements in care delivery, enhancing patient and staff satisfaction, and maximizing facility value. This episode is hosted by Pineapple [https://us.pineapplecontracts.com/], creators of mindfully designed furniture for behavioral and mental health environments.

The Untapped Conversations in Behavioral Health - PART 1

Pineapple’s Daniel White hosts a conversation grounded in real-world behavioral health delivery rather than theory. Joining him are HKS’s Rachael Rome, Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design & Studio Practice Leader of the Dallas Health Practice, and her colleague Martyna Falloni, Senior Medical Planner & Associate. Together they examine how mental and behavioral health design is full of assumptions that often can become default standards – and they challenges these concepts, asking the questions we all debate quietly … but rarely say out loud. Topics they cover in PART 1 include: * Single occupancy vs dual occupancy: Privacy, safety, or throughput – what are we really optimizing for? Are we designing for patient outcomes or operational fear? * Ensuite vs shared bathrooms: Dignity, ligature risk, and the things no one likes to admit – is the ensuite about patient dignity or staff convenience? Our Guests:  Rachael Rome, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LSSGB, LEED AP BD+C [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raerome/] Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design | Studio Practice Leader, Dallas Health Practice, HKS [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raerome/] Rachael Rome is Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design at HKS and a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health environments. She partners with health systems and institutions to translate complex clinical and operational needs into high-performance, evidence-based spaces that support safety, dignity, and healing. Her work spans the full continuum of care, from pediatric and outpatient settings to forensic facilities and medically complex inpatient units, with a strong focus on trauma-informed design and technical excellence. Rachael also advises on behavioral planning, simulation modeling, and long-range campus strategies, helping drive system-wide transformation through thoughtful, human-centered design. Through her leadership, Rachael continues to elevate mental and behavioral health design across the industry advancing integrated, human-centered spaces that promote resilience, equity, and hope. Martyna Falloni, ACHA, EDAC, LSSYB, AIA [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfalloni/] Senior Medical Planner, Associate, HKS [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfalloni/] Martyna’s goal is to create environments that put people first - because when they thrive, outcomes improve naturally. As a board-certified medical planner, Martyna is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through the creation of exceptional, safe environments for patients, staff, and caregivers. She brings particular focus to spaces that support children, thoughtfully accommodating their developmental, emotional, and safety needs. Leveraging expertise in Evidence-Based Design and Lean Six Sigma, she applies an analytical, human-centered approach to every project. Martyna works closely with interdisciplinary teams and clients to align design solutions with operational best practices, clinical effectiveness, and evidence-based strategies - driving measurable improvements in care delivery, enhancing patient and staff satisfaction, and maximizing facility value. This episode is hosted by Pineapple [https://us.pineapplecontracts.com/], creators of mindfully designed furniture for behavioral and mental health environments.

From Plans to Practice - What Mental Health Spaces Need to Work in the Real World

Mental health environments are often designed with the best intentions, but the real test comes after opening day, when people, pressure, and unpredictability enter the space. Join Pineapple's Michelle Blackie and her guest Stacey Johnson, Hospital President and Vice President at Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center in Virginia, USA, as they discuss what actually works in the real world - exploring how design, operations, and community intersect in mental health care, and what designers can learn from lived experience. Our Guest:  Stacey Johnson, Hospital President/VP of Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-johnson-lcsw-mba-920055b7/]  Stacey Johnson, LCSW, MBA is the Hospital President/VP of Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center in Hampton, Virginia. RMHRC is part of the Riverside Health System that offers a comprehensive range of medical services. Stacey has over 15 years of experience in the behavioral health field with prominent authority on the development and operation of behavioral health and addiction treatment programs. She started her career as a social worker, which provides a unique perspective now that she works primarily in administration. Stacey’s passion is to be able to meet the mental and behavioral health needs of all individuals as well as reducing stigma associated with mental illness. She hopes to break down the barrier to treatment and open the door to discuss mental health in a positive way while working to provide innovative and community centered treatment options.  This episode is hosted by Pineapple [https://us.pineapplecontracts.com/], creators of mindfully designed furniture for behavioral and mental health environments.

The Hidden Design of Healing - How Macro Ergonomics Influences Behaviour and Recovery

Pineapple’s Daniel White is joined in conversation by Melissa Steach, who is not only an industrial-organizational psychologist and behavioral health design strategist, but also Pineapple’s Regional Engagement Manager. Daniel and Melissa explore the impact of ergonomics on patient outcomes in behavioral health settings, a topic that reaches across design, safety and human wellbeing. Thoughtful ergonomic design extends beyond comfort, by influencing mood, behavior, recovery and the overall therapeutic experience. From furniture design and placement to sensory consideration given to materials, posture support and movement patterns, these details all shape how patients and care givers interact with their environment. Bringing her uniquely interdisciplinary lens to behavioral health design, Melissa unpacks how smart, evidence-based ergonomic choices can create safer, calmer and more empowering spaces that truly support healing. Our Guest:  Melissa Steach, Regional Engagement Manager, Pineapple  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasteach/]  Dr Melissa Steach is an industrial-organizational psychologist and behavioral health design strategist whose research-driven work bridges environmental psychology, trauma-informed care, and design for emotional regulation. In her role at Pineapple, she collaborates with healthcare systems, architects, and clinical teams to create therapeutic environments that reduce harm and support staff resilience. A recognized speaker and educator, her insights on psychological safety, macro-ergonomics, and de-escalation environments have reached global audiences through LinkedIn Learning and national industry conferences.  This episode is hosted by Pineapple [https://us.pineapplecontracts.com/], creators of mindfully designed furniture for behavioral and mental health environments.

Behavioral Health in Rural and Frontier Systems: Balancing Design, Safety, and Equity

Pineapple’s Michelle Blackie explores behavioral health in rural and frontier systems in the United States, places where critical access hospitals often serve as the only point of care for miles in every direction. In these settings, a single hospital must be everything for everyone: emergency department, primary care, mental health provider, and community lifeline. That reality demands an extraordinary level of agility in service delivery, from staff who wear multiple hats to facilities that need to flex and adapt to every kind of need. Michelle is joined by Elizabeth Johnson, Assistant Professor at Montana State University, and together they examine the unique challenges of providing behavioral health care in these environments, explore the design solutions that make a difference, and hear stories from the frontlines about resilience, innovation, and the power of community. Our Guest:  Elizabeth Johnson, Assistant Professor, Montana State University [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-johnson-phd-ms-crm-rn-833590167/] Elizabeth is an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Montana State University - Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing in Bozeman, Montana. She teaches Design of Healthcare Delivery Systems, which is an inter-professional graduate course offering with College of Nursing (Clinical Nurse Leader and DNP students) and College of Engineering students (industrial, mechanical, healthcare systems engineering students). Her nursing research background is in data and systems science, which shapes current projects evaluating the functioning of healthcare teams within various care delivery environments and settings. She is involved in technology innovation and digital health device development, with funding awarded from the Montana State University/U.S. Economic Development Administration, American Nurses Association, and the acceptance to the National Science Foundation- National Innovation Corps program.   This episode is hosted by Pineapple [https://us.pineapplecontracts.com/], creators of mindfully designed furniture for behavioral and mental health environments.