Behavioral Health Planner / Design Expert

Behavioral Health Planner / Design Expert

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced

Behavioral Health Planner / Designer

to join DLR Group's Justice + Civic national practice. In this role, you will lead the planning and design of facilities that promote healing, equity, and transformation through behavioral health-focused design solutions. DLR Group operates within a hybrid work model, supporting flexibility between office time and work from home. DLR Group has a network of30+ studios across the United States. For this role, we encourage exceptional applicants across the ecosystem.

About Justice + Civic at DLR Group

As a nationally recognized expert in Justice + Civic facility planning and design, DLR Group serves municipal, county, state, and federal public-sector clients to deliver civic, public safety, and justice design solutions that achieve excellence in operations, sustainable design, resilience planning, space planning, building assessment, cost of ownership analysis, and project management. Behavioral health facility planning and design is a growing specialty in our portfolio. As stewards of the built environment, DLR Group's Justice + Civic practice elevates behavioral, environmental, and social betterment, resulting in healing, equity, and transformation for the individual and community.

What You Will Do :

Collaboratively work with integrated teams of architects, engineers and specialty consultants

Lead preliminary planning and design for behavioral health facilities within community, justice and civic environments

Create functional layouts integrating therapeutic design principles, de-escalation strategies, and security requirements

Develop evidence-based design solutions to support mental health treatment, recovery and reintegration

Design adult crisis, sobering, substance use and residential treatment centers

Ensure designs promote client and staff safety while maintaining a therapeutic environment

Apply sustainable design practices and WELL building standards to behavioral health spaces

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate specialized security and safety features

Design spaces that balance clinical requirements with trauma-informed care principles

Conduct facility assessments and develop programming recommendations

Create detailed space planning documentation and design guidelines

Lead stakeholder engagement sessions and facilitate design workshops

Provide technical expertise on behavioral health design standards and best practices

Support cost estimation and phasing strategies for behavioral health implementations

Develop post-occupancy evaluation criteria for behavioral health spaces

Mentor team members on behavioral health design principles

Contribute to research initiatives and thought leadership in justice behavioral health design

Required Qualifications :

Bachelor's degree in architecture, planning, psychology, behavioral science, or related field

5+ years of experience in behavioral health facility planning or related healthcare design

Strong understanding of mental health treatment modalities and substance use programs

Knowledgeable of Behavioral Health funding initiatives at state and local levels

Knowledge of trauma-informed design principles and evidence-based practice

Understanding of clinical workflows and operational requirements

Understanding of telehealth and technology supported treatment systems

Knowledge of behavioral healthcare design standards and building regulations

Experience with public sector projects and stakeholder engagement

Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities

Excellent written, verbal, and graphic communication skills

Preferred Qualifications :

Master's degree in psychology, behavioral science, architecture, planning, or related field

Professional certification in healthcare planning or behavioral health

Experience in behavioral health facility planning,

AICP or other relevant certification

Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, MS Office Suite, and Adobe Creative Suite

Background in therapeutic environment design or clinical operations

Familiarity with Behavior Health system operations and procedures

Experience with secure facility design and planning

Knowledge of correctional healthcare standards and guidelines

Understanding of behavioral health economics and facility operations

Research experience in behavioral health environments

Publication history in relevant professional journals

Experience with grant writing and funding applications

Crisis prevention intervention (CPI) certification

Mental Health First Aid certification

Professional affiliation with behavioral health organizations

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned : every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action / M / F / Veteran / Disabled employer.

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