Healing Behind Secure Walls: Forensic Hospital Design Global Conference

Type of Event:

Summits, Symposiums & Conferences

Date:

October 01, 2026 - October 02, 2026

Time:

All day

Location:

CAMH Arrell Family Foundation Auditorium - 1025 Queen Street West, 2nd Floor - Toronto - ON

Event Overview

Welcome to the Healing Behind Secure Walls: Global Forensic Hospital Design Conference, an engaging two-day international gathering exploring how thoughtfully designed environments can support healing, recovery, and well-being in forensic mental health settings.

Hosted at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this unique event will bring together clinicians, architects, designers, researchers, planners, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience to rethink how spaces can better support care, safety, and dignity.

Forensic psychiatric hospitals care for individuals who are Unfit to Stand Trial (UST) or Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder (NCRMD). These environments must balance treatment, recovery, and security—an ongoing challenge for healthcare providers and designers alike. Historically, many psychiatric facilities were built with institutional and restrictive models in mind. However, emerging research increasingly shows that well-designed therapeutic environments can significantly improve mental health outcomes, reduce distress, and support recovery-oriented care.

The Healing Behind Secure Walls: Forensic Care Design International Conference will explore how architecture, design, and clinical practice can work together to create more humane, inclusive, and effective environments within secure psychiatric settings.

Across two days of lively discussion and collaboration, participants will explore key questions such as:

• How does the design of space influence patient recovery and staff well-being in secure psychiatric environments?
• What evidence-based design approaches can reduce negative outcomes such as aggression, isolation, and restraints?
• How can architects, clinicians, policymakers, and people with lived experience collaborate to shape future therapeutic environments?

Conference Highlights

Participants can expect an engaging and interactive program that includes:

• Keynote presentations from international experts in architecture, mental health, and forensic psychiatry
• Panel discussions exploring topics such as ethics, security, and therapeutic design in forensic settings
• Co-creation workshops where participants collaborate to imagine and design therapeutic environments
• Breakout sessions focused on research, policy development, and lived experience perspectives
• Networking opportunities to build partnerships and support future research, innovation, and funding

Whether you are a seasoned professional or simply curious about the intersection of health, design, and human experience, this conference offers an opportunity to learn, share ideas, and contribute to shaping the future of therapeutic environments.

Expected Outcomes

The conference aims to generate meaningful dialogue and practical outcomes that will inform research, policy, and practice. Key goals include:

• Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration across psychiatry, architecture, design, policy, and lived experience
• Identifying best practices for ethical and effective use of space in secure mental health settings
• Informing future capital planning, service design, and innovation in forensic mental health facilities
• Embedding trauma-informed and person-centered approaches in the design of secure environments
• Supporting education and capacity-building for early-career professionals and emerging researchers
• Stimulating new research on spatial interventions, co-design, and long-term outcomes
• Generating policy-relevant recommendations that support reforms aligned with human rights and clinical effectiveness

Attend In Person or Online

Participants may attend in person at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, or virtually via the Webex platform, making the conference accessible to both local and international audiences.

Join us to connect with a global community of thinkers and practitioners, exchange ideas, and explore how the spaces we design can play a powerful role in improving health, safety, and recovery.