The Kem and Carolyn Gardner Crisis Center was created for individuals facing mental health crisis, providing support to stabilize and de-escalate. It bridges a gap between community and behavioral health systems for recovery. This facility is an important step in offering a broad spectrum of mental and behavioral health services in the South Salt Lake community.
The overarching goal was to develop a more effectual and efficient alternative to emergency department care and/or the justice system. To accomplish this, a dedicated range of stakeholders, including community agencies, advocacy groups, service users, and representatives from the University of Utah Health System, collaborated with the design team throughout the entire programming, planning and design process. The project scope and operational intent evolved during design, focusing on a continuum of services aimed at holistic health and ensuring the availability of the right services, at the right time, in the right setting.
Completed in 2025, the result is a stand-alone 8,000m2 licensed hospital building that includes all of the following services and programs in one location:
* 30-chair receiving center
* 24-bed acute stabilization unit
* mobile outreach team space
* administration and staff support
* pharmacy and lab services
* outpatient and partial hospitalization programs
* medical and dental clinics
* neuromodulation clinic
* legal and employment support
These services were carefully planned throughout the 3-story building to allow for efficient and safe circulation of patients, staff, and support services, while maintaining dignity and promoting a positive and therapeutic experience. Security zones allow resources to be shared without introducing overt boundaries or potentially problematic interactions. All patient treatment spaces include natural light and are designed with hospitality in mind, especially patient entries, where inviting and comfortable materials and lighting are used to welcome guests.
This sophisticated planning and high-level interior design of the Center yields numerous recovery-oriented characteristics leading to better patient outcomes:
* Dignity for patients that encourages communication, stress reduction, self-efficacy, and personal involvement in care
* Reduced mental health stigma
* Safety for all during a crisis
* Joy-in-practice for staff with safe and comfortable support spaces and efficient operations for effective teamwork
* Research and learning partnerships
* Community integration, visibility, and openness
* Adaptive flexibility to adjust operations on a daily or even hourly basis as necessary
* Continuum of care with warm handoff to other services including peer counselors
This project is unique for its inclusive and collaborative design approach; the commitment of all stakeholders to provide a broad range of services in one location; its welcoming, comfortable, safe, and efficient design; and ultimately a care environment and program operations that truly foster recovery for service users to a degree rarely achieved in this type of facility.
