Cities across the U.S. face critical challenges in behavioral health, substance abuse, and homelessness. San Francisco is leading the way with over 20 groundbreaking projects – either in design, under construction, or recently completed – that provide new solutions, including crisis stabilization units, child and family therapy facilities, and modular buildings.
This course features experts from the San Francisco Department of Public Works, highlighting innovative new solutions for supporting the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants and the broader community. By shining a spotlight on behavioral health projects, this course will demonstrate how designers can improve service navigation, enhance connectivity, and create more effective support networks to address urgent health and housing needs.
This course was recorded live on May 13, 2025.
Identify different facility types supporting behavioral health and homelessness services in San Francisco.
Explore innovative care models, including crisis stabilization units, children's behavioral health centers, drop-in clinics, and navigation centers.
Apply adaptive reuse, modular buildings, tensile structures, and site innovations to create cost-effective, timely responses to urgent behavioral health and housing needs.
Integrate design principles that improve patient recovery and staff effectiveness, creating environments that promote safety, well-being, job satisfaction, and efficient workflows.
Hosted in partnership with the Public Architects Committee (PAKC).
