Among the 25 cities in the U.S. with the largest homeless populations, the only city in Florida is Miami, with roughly 3,700 homeless, or 8.1 people per 1,000, according to U.S. News and World Report. Local agencies and programs such as Camillus Houseâs Lazarus Project and the Miami Permanent Supportive Housing Program target individuals suffering from mental illness that experts identify as one of the root causes of homelessness.
A team that included SBLM Architects recently completed the renovation and conversion of a vacant seven-story, 180,000-sf buildingâwhich had previously served as a mental health evaluation and treatment centerâinto the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery, whose goal is to divert individuals with serious mental problems from the criminal justice system to a facility where they can receive proper care and treatment, and possibly transition into more stable housing.
The Miami Center is a response to the Baker Act, a Florida law passed in 1971 that enables families and loved ones to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness, and who are unable to determine their needs for treatment.
The revamped, 208-bed Miami Center, which in late December received its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, is unique in that its first floor, where detainees are processed and evaluated, includes a Hearing Room with judge and magistrate chambers for related hearings and legal proceedings.
SBLMâs design, in fact, was âconceivedâ by Judge Steven Leifman, Associate Administrative Judge in the criminal division of Floridaâs 11th Circuit Court. âThe judge has been the driving force behind this,â confirms Jim Cohen, a Vice President with Miami-based SBLM Architects, who spoke with BD+C yesterday. Judge Leifman was also instrumental is raising funds for this Center.
Bureaucratic snags delay development
Cohen recounts that the âmental health diversionâ concept emerged in 2010 after an expose in the mid 2000s revealed that Miami-Dade County's Correctional Department wasnât equipped to provide the care needed by mentally ill inmates.
At first, the plan was to use only a couple of floors in the building, which was built in 1980. That morphed into a design-build project that at one point had Johnson Controls offering to pay for the entire renovation if its systems were installed. (The county declined that offer.)
The county hired SBLM in 2015, and Cohen says now that the building provided the âbackbone and space to realize the judgeâs vision.â The building team on this $52 million renovation project included Thornton Construction Company (GC), Bliss & Nyitray (SE) TWR Engineers (MEP), and TLC Engineering for Architecture (technology).
A continuum of care
After the intake and evaluation processes, an individual is moved into Crisis Stabilization Unit on the second floor with 16 beds, outpatient clinics, 15 offices for support services, and a conference center for professional and educational training (including law enforcement training specifically for this population). The second floor also has a ârespite areaâ for persons who donât meet the Centerâs crisis criteria but have nowhere else to go.
Thereâs a secure wing on the second floor for residents that includes a gym, a multipurpose day room, visitation areas, and access to a 33,000-sf outdoor recreation space with landscaping, seating, a walking path, and basketball courts.
Mechanical equipment is on the third floor, which also serves as a physical and acoustical buffer from the resident sleeping areas on floors four through six. (The seventh floor hasnât been built out yet.) Each resident floor has six to eight sleep pods that allow patient care to be segmented. A maximum of five beds per resident floor may be assigned to that floorâs private bathroom.
Resident floors have dedicated support areas for pharmacies, exam rooms, professional therapy offices, laundries, and dining. As a residentâs condition stabilizes, there can be relocations to higher floors that provide independent living opportunities. As such, Miami Center claims to be the first of its kind in the country that offers a continuum of healthcare for the mentally ill that includes the prospect of reintegrating into society.
Treatment instead of detention
The custodial component, says Cohen, can last up to six months. If the patient shows improvement, he or she is eligible for longer-term houisng on floors five and six. At that stage, a patient can opt to leave the program.
The opening of the Miami Center, which will cost $30 million per year to run, is projected to save Miami-Dade County $100,000 per person annually by providing treatment programs to mentally ill people who otherwise would be held for extended periods in county detention facilities. Cohen says heâs been contacted by the city of Seattle about Miami-Dadeâs diversion efforts, and notes that Judge Leifman has toured the facility with representatives from other cities.
Cohen adds that the first floor of the building includes a commercial kitchen that, once operational, could provide patients with training applicable to the food service industry.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | May 6, 2024
Hospital construction costs for 2024
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.
Sponsored | Healthcare Facilities | May 3, 2024
Advancing Healthcare: Medical Office Buildings at the Forefront of Access and Safety
This article explores the pivotal shift from traditional hospital settings to Medical Office Buildings (MOBs), focusing on how these facilities enhance patient access. Discover the key drivers of this transformation, including technological advancements, demographic trends, and a growing emphasis on integrated, patient-centered care. Learn how MOBs are not only adapting to modern healthcare demands but are also leveraging modern access control and safety innovations.
Architects | May 2, 2024
Emerging considerations in inclusive design
Design elements that consider a diverse population of users make lives better. When it comes to wayfinding, some factors will remain consistentâincluding accessibility and legibility.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 16, 2024
Mexicoâs âpremier private academic health centerâ under design
The design and construction contract for what is envisioned to be âthe premier private academic health center in Mexico and Latin Americaâ was recently awarded to The Beck Group. The TecSalud Health Sciences Campus will be located at Tec De Monterreyâs flagship healthcare facility, Zambrano Hellion Hospital, in Monterrey, Mexico.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 11, 2024
The just cause in behavioral health design: Make it right
NAC Architecture shares strategies for approaching behavioral health design collaboratively and thoughtfully, rather than simply applying a set of blanket rules.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 3, 2024
Foster + Partners, CannonDesign unveil design for Mayo Clinic campus expansion
A redesign of the Mayo Clinicâs downtown campus in Rochester, Minn., centers around two new clinical high-rise buildings. The two nine-story structures will reach a height of 221 feet, with the potential to expand to 420 feet.
Products and Materials | Mar 31, 2024
Top building products for March 2024
BD+C Editors break down March's top 15 building products, from multifamily-focused electronic locks to recyclable plastic panels.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 18, 2024
A modular construction solution to the mental healthcare crisis
Maria Ionescu, Senior Medical Planner, Stantec, shares a tested solution for the overburdened emergency department: Modular hub-and-spoke design.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 17, 2024
5 criteria to optimize medical office design
Healthcare designers need to consider privacy, separate areas for practitioners, natural light, outdoor spaces, and thoughtful selection of materials for medical office buildings.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 15, 2024
First comprehensive cancer hospital in Dubai to host specialized multidisciplinary care
Stantec was selected to lead the design team for the Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubaiâs first integrated, comprehensive cancer hospital. Named in honor of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the hospital is scheduled to open to patients in 2026.