Danville Mental Health Security Updates
CLIENT: Iliana VA Mental Health Facility
LOCATION: Danville, IL
PROJECT STATUS: Complete (June 2025)
PURPOSE:
After sitting vacant and unusable for three years due to design and construction problems, the Illiana VA Medical Center's mental health facility needed comprehensive renovations to serve Veterans requiring specialized care. Originally constructed between 2019-2021, this 16,660 square foot facility was designed to provide inpatient monitored stays for at-risk patients, but safety and functionality issues prevented its use.
Richard's mission was clear: transform this vacant building into a fully operational, secure mental health treatment center that prioritizes patient safety while meeting the highest standards of care. The project focused on implementing anti-ligature safety measures throughout patient areas, upgrading building systems, and ensuring compliance with specialized behavioral health requirements.
The renovated facility now serves Veterans from western/central Illinois and eastern Indiana regions, providing critical mental health services including 22 inpatient beds for at-risk patients who require monitored care in a safe, therapeutic environment.
CHALLENGE:
Patient Safety as Priority One: The most significant challenge was systematically identifying and eliminating every potential self-harm hazard throughout the patient areas. This required meticulous attention to detail and creative problem-solving to address ligature risks while maintaining a therapeutic environment.
Specialized Anti-Ligature Requirements: Standard construction materials and fixtures couldn't be used in patient areas. Richard sourced and installed specialty anti-ligature fixtures, including custom-fabricated covers for fire alarm devices, card readers, and other building systems—items not readily available in the marketplace.
Complex Safety Integration: Balancing multiple safety systems presented unique challenges. The team had to integrate anti-ligature features with fire safety, ADA compliance, security systems, and building functionality—all while maintaining the facility's therapeutic purpose.
Innovative Solutions: Richard worked closely with VA Engineering and Mental Health staff through an iterative design process to develop custom solutions, including fabricating specialized anti-ligature covers and bezels for horizontally-protruding devices that met both safety and operational requirements.
OUTCOME:
Mission Accomplished: After four years of vacancy, the Illiana VA Medical Center successfully opened their new mental health facility on time and on budget.
Enhanced Patient Safety: The facility now provides a secure environment for treating at-risk Veterans, with comprehensive anti-ligature features throughout all patient areas, from custom plumbing fixtures to tamper-resistant fasteners and specialized behavioral health signage.
Improved Care Capacity: The renovated facility enables the VA to safely treat 22 inpatient Veterans simultaneously, with enhanced privacy and significantly improved patient safety measures compared to the previous facility. Plus, a new state-of-the-art office and staffing area.
Exceptional Project Management: Despite schedule extensions due to additional required work, Richard delivered the building a full month ahead of the revised timeline through expediting work and efficient project coordination.
Value Engineering Success: Through careful analysis of drawings and specifications, Richard identified $56,868 worth of unnecessary work, providing cost savings back to the VA while preventing future rework issues.
project stats:
16,660 Sqft.
+
317 Days Without Safety Incident
+
11 Months Project Duration
+
172 Electrical Receptacles Upgraded to GFCI
+
$56,868 Cost Savings Identified for Client
+
9 Subcontractor Partners
+
100% Anti-Ligature Safety Compliance
project stats: 16,660 Sqft. + 317 Days Without Safety Incident + 11 Months Project Duration + 172 Electrical Receptacles Upgraded to GFCI + $56,868 Cost Savings Identified for Client + 9 Subcontractor Partners + 100% Anti-Ligature Safety Compliance
