When someone requires inpatient behavioral healthcare, social engagement and positive interactions are essential for their long-term success. No one understands that better than Episcopal’s Behavioral Health team—which is why they’ve used grant funding to open a new Rec Room on campus.
The goal was to provide a space for patients to socialize, relax, and participate in programming. “We wanted patients to enter the room and feel safe and comfortable and excited, all at the same time,” says Behavioral Health Therapist Alexandria “Lexi” Thomas.
With $15,000 in funding from the Lydia Fisher Warner Memorial Trust, the team transformed a fourth-floor room, working with their colleagues and patients to maximize the benefits of the space. “We ordered an Xbox and a Nintendo Switch, and our Certified Peer Specialists—led by Steve Marino—talked with patients about what kinds of games they wanted and what would be appropriate for the unit,” explains Briana Stinson, LCSW, Episcopal’s Director of Therapeutic Programming. “We also purchased board games, iPads, and four desktop computers.”
In the meantime, Thomas and fellow Behavioral Health Therapist Dana Horvath worked hard to decorate the room. “We got really creative, and painted a lot more than we anticipated,” Thomas says. “One of the walls has a little bit of greenery, and the windowsills have intricate flowers, which Dana hand painted. We also incorporated some of our therapeutic techniques: we painted “5, 4, 3, 2, 1” on the wall, which represents one of our grounding exercises.”
There’s one feature of the design that stands out more than any other. “On the main wall, there are vines connected by handprints,” Thomas says. “Some of those are patient handprints, which means our patients got to be part of this as well. They can feel like they participated in this creative process—and they did.”
Self-Esteem- and Skill-Building
The team also sees the Rec Room as providing opportunities for building patients’ self-esteem and learning skills.
“A few days ago, I saw a Certified Peer Specialist working with a patient in the Rec Room,” Stinson recalls. “They were using one of the desktop computers. The patient had to type something on a keyboard, but he had never used one before. He was so nervous, but then he did it, and there was that moment when he realized, ‘Wow, I can do this.’ You could see how much confidence that built in him. Without the Rec Room, that might not have been possible.”
“We’re also thinking about how we can build on those moments and hold digital literacy, goal-setting, and resume-writing workshops,” Thomas adds. “We can use the desktop computers and the iPads, and, because the Rec Room is more of a community environment, we can bring people together in a way that we can’t on the units.”
Behavioral Health Therapist Michael Wilson is especially enthusiastic about the idea. “We’ve always been interested in vocational training for our long-term patients, because many of them have, or can develop, excellent skills,” he says. “If we can reinforce those skills and then give them the support they need, that will really help them engage with and transition back into the community.”
An Instant Hit on Campus
With so much excitement around the Rec Room, it makes sense that the team would want to celebrate—which is why they threw a Grand Opening party at the end of February.
“It was really fun,” Thomas says. “We gave out raffle tickets with a two-sided invitation: one side for patients to keep for the raffle, and the other side for them to give us feedback. There were three raffle prizes: a gift basket, the opportunity to win $100 to buy a game for the room, and the chance to have an hour to test out the room accompanied by a Certified Peer Specialist.”
“I think almost everyone gave us feedback,” Thomas continues. “They all had something positive to say or gave us some really good ideas on how to add to the room. It was wonderful.”
In fact, the Rec Room has become such a popular spot on campus that—while it’s now open to patients on other floors—multiple units are asking for their own. “I’ve already heard that the fifth floor was saying, ‘We want a rec room,’” laughs LJ Rasi, Episcopal’s Director of Behavioral Health. “They’re asking, ‘When do we get our Rec Room?’”
