Therapeutic Gardens Provide Peaceful Pathways to Recovery for Mental Health Patients

For those living with mental illness, research has shown that the healing properties of nature are as valuable to recovery as state-of-the-art equipment is in an acute-care hospital. Combined with compassionate care, a therapeutic environment can help mental health patients restore their optimal level of functioning.

It is with this research in mind that Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital will be developing wellness gardens over the next two years to provide a more calming and serene environment for patients.

The most recently completed garden, the Garden of Recovery, was finished in July 2010 and is the second of six gardens planned for the behavioral health facility.

It joins the Don Allen Garden in providing a soothing space for patients and their loved ones to enjoy and was designed by the same award-winning firm, Schmidt Design Group, Inc. This new garden includes a gazebo, a soothing water fountain, drought-tolerant landscaping, a renovated basketball court and a green wall to provide privacy and beauty in a secured area.

Generous donations from employees and anonymous donors have provided $413,000 toward the $500,000 needed for the creation of all six gardens. The overall goal is to transform the hospital’s outdoor areas into uplifting, beautiful spaces that promote health, well being and recovery.

The Garden of Recovery is designed to complement the Recovery Philosophy. This philosophy is based on the concept of allowing individuals with mental illnesses to have greater control and choice in their treatment so that they are empowered to live a meaningful life.

The Recovery Philosophy is made up of five key components: hope, empowerment, connection, self-responsibility and a meaningful life. These words are etched into the garden’s pathways to remind patients that they have the strength necessary for long-term success in their recovery process.

Kathi Lencioni, senior vice president and CEO of Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital and the McDonald Center at Sharp HealthCare, has been instrumental in spearheading this project. She says that incorporating the fundamental components of the Recovery Philosophy into the creation of the garden is a beneficial way to promote healing in patients.

“Our employees, physicians and volunteers are dedicated to providing the tools necessary for our patients to make a full recovery,” Lencioni said. “By reiterating their teachings of the Recovery Philosophy throughout a peaceful garden setting we can provide a positive and hopeful health care experience for our patients so that they can successfully reintegrate into the community.”

How You Can Help
We are currently raising funds to enhance other outdoor spaces at our hospital. We hope that you will join in our efforts to complete this project by considering a gift to support the Therapeutic Gardens at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital. To help make this vision a reality, Donate Now and select Sharp Mesa Vista Therapeutic Gardens. 

For More Information
To learn more Sharp Mesa Vista's programs and services, please call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277) or send us an email. To contact Sharp Mesa Vista directly, please call 858-836-8434 or 1-800-696-6899.

To learn more about Sharp's full range of mental health programs, visit our Mental Health.