Transform Behavioral Health with Light

Our priority has always been to provide luminaires that answer specific needs. The stigma surrounding mental illness has historically echoed throughout behavioral health facility design. Stark, institutional rooms built to control patients were the norm. However, that stigma is weakening. Now, patient-centered behavioral care means treating the whole person, not just controlling symptoms.

The most respected standards organizations agree:

In behavioral health, aesthetics and comfort matter as much as safety. By creating enriching, comfortable environments with high quality light and non-institutional fixtures, we can help contribute to the patient’s journey in a healing way.

Materials

Our behavioral health luminaires are constructed for ligature, impact, and tamper resistance.

SYMMETRY - with secure tamper resistant screws

Secure, tamper resistant screws with special heads are used to prevent opening or damaging the fixture. They can only be removed with a specific tool.

Luminaires must be securely fastened to structural blocking using supplemental screws and/or mounting brackets, according to installation instructions.

Many fixtures require caulk that is pick-proof around the housing, especially if the surface is not smooth, in order to reduce damage and ligature risk.

High abuse luminaires need polycarbonate lenses in place of (or over) typical diffusers to protect inner components and to allow light through.

SERENITY - over-bed fixture with polycarbonate lens

Testing & Ligature Resistance

While there is no universal standard for fixtures in behavioral health, our engineers evaluate each luminaire according to the testing model of the New York State Office of Mental Health.

SYMMETRY - preparing impact and ligature testing

All patient-facing components where two or more materials meet must be thoroughly tested for ligature resistance. This means that objects cannot be wedged in or looped around any particular spot to create an anchor point.

To test this, engineers repeatedly apply mechanical impact or pressure to the luminaire while it is installed, then attempt to create a ligature point.

SYMMETRY - evaluating ligature resistance after impact

SYMMETRY - 2 ft diameter with impact resistant polycarbonate lens, tamper resistance, and pick proof ligature resistant caulk