First Hand Information

I have found two people online that both work in the mental health profession. One of them is a sichiatris for the police and the other works on a ward in a mental hospital.

They have both offered their help in giving us research on the way mental hospitals look, feel and sound and are giving me an insight into the types of mental illness that will help push our game to a good level of detail when it comes to mental illness.

This is what I was given by the first of these people and she wishes to remain annonymus she calls herself "Sexyashell"

"let’s start with some depts. there are administrations, I.E. admitting, case managers, billing and coding. Then there is security, then there are wards and the wards are levels of severity. Level 1 is people that can manage their mental illness with medications and they will have a short stay. level 2 are people that have a slightly more severe mental illness and will require a longer stay but could manage their illness with medications but will probably be admitted back into the hospital several times throughout their lives. Level 3 have a more aggressive and more serious form of mental illness. They will probably require a long hospital stay and there may even be a chance that they will never get out because they are not safe for themselves or for the public. They are on heavy kinds and large doses of medications but it only helps a little bit. Then there are level 4, the criminally insane. These people will never get out they are a danger to themselves and to others. They will cause serious harm to people around them; they are on heavy meds, like lithium. They are watched by security, hospital staff at all times if they are not locked in their rooms. There mental illness has caused them to be in a prison in their own head.
Then there is the nurses, doctors, and psychiatric techs and other psych staff. These people all have direct contact with the patients.

The outside of a state mental hospital will be close to looking like a prison. It will have fences and maybe even bob-wire fences around the level 3 and level 4 wards. It may even have a paediatric mental health ward. i hope this helps some if you have any questions please let me know.
Sexyashell