The Untapped Conversations in Behavioral Health - PART 1

Pineapple’s Daniel White hosts a conversation grounded in real-world behavioral health delivery rather than theory.

Joining him are HKS’s Rachael Rome, Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design & Studio Practice Leader of the Dallas Health Practice, and her colleague Martyna Falloni, Senior Medical Planner & Associate.

Together they examine how mental and behavioral health design is full of assumptions that often can become default standards – and they challenges these concepts, asking the questions we all debate quietly … but rarely say out loud.

Topics they cover in PART 1 include:

• Single occupancy vs dual occupancy: Privacy, safety, or throughput – what are we really optimizing for? Are we designing for patient outcomes or operational fear?
• Ensuite vs shared bathrooms: Dignity, ligature risk, and the things no one likes to admit – is the ensuite about patient dignity or staff convenience?

Our Guests: 

Rachael Rome, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LSSGB, LEED AP BD+C

Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design | Studio Practice Leader, Dallas Health Practice, HKS

Rachael Rome is Global Director of Mental & Behavioral Health Design at HKS and a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health environments. She partners with health systems and institutions to translate complex clinical and operational needs into high-performance, evidence-based spaces that support safety, dignity, and healing.

Her work spans the full continuum of care, from pediatric and outpatient settings to forensic facilities and medically complex inpatient units, with a strong focus on trauma-informed design and technical excellence. Rachael also advises on behavioral planning, simulation modeling, and long-range campus strategies, helping drive system-wide transformation through thoughtful, human-centered design.

Through her leadership, Rachael continues to elevate mental and behavioral health design across the industry advancing integrated, human-centered spaces that promote resilience, equity, and hope.

Martyna Falloni, ACHA, EDAC, LSSYB, AIA

Senior Medical Planner, Associate, HKS

Martyna’s goal is to create environments that put people first - because when they thrive, outcomes improve naturally. As a board-certified medical planner, Martyna is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through the creation of exceptional, safe environments for patients, staff, and caregivers. She brings particular focus to spaces that support children, thoughtfully accommodating their developmental, emotional, and safety needs.

Leveraging expertise in Evidence-Based Design and Lean Six Sigma, she applies an analytical, human-centered approach to every project. Martyna works closely with interdisciplinary teams and clients to align design solutions with operational best practices, clinical effectiveness, and evidence-based strategies - driving measurable improvements in care delivery, enhancing patient and staff satisfaction, and maximizing facility value.

This episode is hosted by Pineapple, creators of mindfully designed furniture for behavioral and mental health environments.