White Paper which explains Behavioral Health & Healthcare Contract Furniture Requires Safe Functionality & Durability while providing a recognizable and warm feeling to patients and residents

1. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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Furniture Choice Impacts
More Than Just Your Budget.
Presented by Furniture Concepts®

2. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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Glossary
Summary...........................................................................................one
Introduction.....................................................................................two
Furniture choice affects safety................................................three
Furniture choice affects staff resources.................................four
Furniture choice affects marketability....................................five
References..........................................................................................six

3. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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ONE
Summary
Today’s healthcare system demands that organizations provide high-quality clinical
care with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. This value proposition has had an
immediate effect on providers’ bottom lines, particularly within the behavioral
health specialty. Leading organizations must innovate new strategies that put pa-
tients first, while also managing tight budgets.
When designing and furnishing a treatment setting, leaders might discover the
tricky task of balancing patient safety and comfort under the parameters of limited
project resources. Does that bedroom furniture appeal to the self-pay client? Is it
safe? Is it affordable?
This whitepaper, provided by Furniture Concepts, will help providers of mental
health and substance use disorder services create a pleasing atmosphere of comfort
and safety for patients with a satisfying return on investment for the organization.

4. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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TWO
Introduction
Value has become a driving force in today’s healthcare system. Organizations
must provide the quality clinical care that patients need with the maximum
efficiency and effectiveness that payers of all types have come to expect.
Because of this demanding value proposition, many behavioral health serv-
ice providers are seeking new strategies to get the most out of their budgets,
while maintaining their high clinical standards. Compromising care by elim-
inating staff or reducing services, for example, is simply not an option. In-
stead, providers are evaluating their spending patterns across the enterprise
and considering opportunities to gain improved returns on their invest-
ments.
The treatment center’s physical space—specifically its design and furnishings
as well as its upkeep—is one area organizations are examining from a budg-
etary perspective. When considering their investments in the treatment set-
ting, leaders might discover the tricky task of balancing safety, comfort and
resources.
Provider organizations are opting for contract furniture in favor of ordinary
retail products because contract furniture is specifically engineered with the
safety requirements of behavioral health populations in mind. Additionally,
contract furniture has proven to hold up to heavy use, offering a longer life-
cycle. That longer lifecycle translates to better budgetary value.

5. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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THREE
Furniture Choice Affects Safety
Treatment center environments call for meticulous attention to detail because of
safety concerns. The most grave concerns—suicide and injury risk—can be signifi-
cantly reduced by eliminating items that have the potential to enable patients to
harm themselves (or others). Furnishings must be taken into consideration in all com-
mon and private areas of a campus to help ensure patients don’t have access to po-
tentially harmful items
Risk Assessment
Suicide was the Number 10 leading cause of death overall in the United States in
2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. However, it ranked much higher at Number
2 for each of the age groups from age 10 to 34. Many be-
havioral health organizations treat patients in these key
age groups. And clearly, the mental health and addiction
disorder patient population often includes those with di-
agnoses related to suicide ideation and attempts.
Knowing the dangers, leaders must rigorously assess their centers for ligature
points—anything that could be used to attach a cord, rope or other material for the
purpose of hanging or strangulation, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. Some ligature examples might include bedframes, cabinet han-
dles, hinges and closures.
Leaders must also assess ligature risks in the context of accreditation as well. Liga-
ture-related injuries or deaths are among the top sentinel events reported to the
Joint Commission. Over the last five years, approximately 85 suicides were reported
each year to the accrediting body as sentinel events.
In fact, the Joint Commission has redoubled its efforts in recent months to document
any observable ligature points, no matter how small, during its accreditation surveys.
Risks are designated as immediate“Recommendations for Improvement”by the com-
mission, with correction timelines for the provider of just 60 days.
The Value of Safety
Clearly,“good enough”is never appropriate when it comes to safety, and that includes
furniture choice. Contract furniture allows treatment centers to offer improved safety
for patients and reduced liability for the business. A spectrum of options can allow
providers to choose custom pieces, based on the treated population’s needs, from
low- to moderate- to high-risk. Leaders must consider the value of safety for their
patients as well as for their accreditation status

6. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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FOUR
Furniture Choice Affects Staff Resources
Whether a single-site, family-owned business or a private-equity-backed enterprise,
every behavioral health organization needs to support its staff resources. After all, a
treatment center is defined by its people, and today’s market for recruitment and re-
tention is extremely competitive.
Workforce Crisis
Congress has identified a “workforce crisis” in behavioral health, with a shortage of
workers and high turnover rates. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) has found that 55% of U.S. counties don’t have any behav-
ioral health workers.5 Compounding the issue is the fact that current workers are
getting burned out at their jobs.
According to a survey conducted by Addiction Professional, 52% of clinical workers
say their caseloads have increased, a trend that has been accelerating year-over-year.
Nearly 80% of workers also say they work extra, unscheduled hours, and some are
expressing dissatisfaction in the profession.
In this competitive labor market, leading behavioral health providers are looking to
create a culture that attracts the best workers and fosters long-term loyalty. One way
such a culture can be created is by ensuring employees’ time is respected and well
spent. Additionally, employees want to work for an organization that projects a su-
perior image with a modern, aesthetically pleasing physical space that is clean and
up-to-date.
The Value of Time
All clinical staff should be focused on the activities that
enhance care and patient satisfaction, while administra-
tive staff should be focused on the performance of the
business.Time spent on other tasks represents missed op-
portunities to help patients and improve the bottom line.
Contract furniture is specifically built to endure heavy use
and offers a longer replacement cycle with less maintenance—even for fluid leaks
and spills. Treatment center staff is less likely to waste time with repeated cleaning,
repurchasing, disposal and delivery processes when the center chooses furniture
that lasts longer. And for any business, time is money.

7. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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FIVE
Furniture Choice Affects Marketability
In the behavioral health industry, financial resources—whether from grants and do-
nations, insurance reimbursement, self-paying clients or equity investors—undoubt-
edly influence the potential for providing service. Many believe: No money, no
mission. But even the most mission-driven organizations know that marketing is an
essential strategy that leads to more business, which leads to more financial re-
sources.
Image Can’t Be Overlooked
Behavioral health services are in demand. According to SAMHSA, more than 3.5 mil-
lion adults received substance use treatment in 2016, and 35 million received mental
health treatment. And it’s a competitive market.
Individuals and loved ones seeking healthcare services often search for providers
online, and for residential treatment in particular, they want to see photos and virtual
tours of the physical space before considering admission. It’s an important first im-
pression. Additionally, the local healthcare com-
munity will also consider the environment of a
facility before making a patient referral.
Leading behavioral health providers are differen-
tiating themselves by highlighting their image of
comfort and safety in a dignified space. Environ-
mental components include modern, home-like
furnishings in all areas of the treatment center to
help patients feel at ease.
The Value of a Positive Image
In today’s competitive market, behavioral health organizations can’t afford anything
other than a compassionate, competent reputation.Warn out, dirty furniture destroys
the facility’s professional image in the eyes of patients, referents and professional
staff. Contract furniture is designed to an organization’s specifications with a variety
of tough materials and fabrics that last longer, maintaining a clean, home-like look
and feel for years.

8. FURNITURE CONCEPT
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SIX
References
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics System Data,
2016,
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/leading_causes_of_death_by_age_group
_2016-508.pdf
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, S&C Memo 18-06-Hospitals,
2017,
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCer-
tificationGenInfo/Downloads/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-18-06.pdf
3 The Joint Commission, October 25, 2017,
https://www.jointcommission.org/issues/article.aspx?Article=GtNpk0ErgGF%2B7J
9WOTTkXANZSEPXa1%2BKH0/4kGHCiio%3D
4 Hospital Safety Center, May 1, 2018,
http://www.hospitalsafetycenter.com/content/331106/topic/ws_hsc_hsc.html
5 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Newsletter, Volume
22, Number 4, Fall 2014,
https://www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsLetter/Volume_22_Number_4/building_the
_behavioral_health_workforce/
6 Addiction Professional Quality of Life Survey 2017,
https://www.addictionpro.com/article/management/2017-quality-life-survey
7 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Survey on
Drug Use and Health, 2016,
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2016_ffr_2_slideshow_v6.pdf
8 Doctor.com Customer Experience Trends in Healthcare 2018,
https://cms.doctor.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/05/patienttrends_report_v1.4.pdf