Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 260)
Washington, DC 20420
December 2006
1
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
A. This document sets forth Space Planning Criteria for Chapter 260: Mental Health
Clinic, as it applies to Mental Health Outpatient Programs that are provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities.
B. The Mental Health Clinic provides an interface between inpatient care and the
community. As such, it offers preventive care, primary care and aftercare. The clinic
also serves as a site for research and training of mental health professionals and
administrators in all aspects of outpatient treatment of mental health problems.
2
DEFINITIONS
A. Concept of Operations: A user-developed guide to the functional operation of the VA
healthcare facility. It defines the function of the facility and the scope of medical
services to be provided in the new or remodeled space.
B. Clinic Stop: A clinic stop is one encounter of a patient with a healthcare provider.
Per these criteria, the clinic stop is the workload unit of measure for space planning.
One individual patient can have multiple procedure / suite stops in a single visit or in
one day.
C. Clinic Visit: Patient arrival (stop) at the main reception desk. Patients may have
multiple Clinic Stops during one Clinic Visit.
D. Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): A staffing parameter equal to the amount of time
assigned to one full time employee. It may be composed of several part-time
employees whose total time commitment equals that of a full-time employee. One
FTE equals a 40 hours per week.
E. Functional Area: The grouping of rooms and spaces based on their function within a
clinical or clinical support service. Typical Functional Areas are Reception Areas,
Patient Areas, Support Areas, Staff and Administrative Areas, and Residency
Program.
F. Input Data Statements: A set of questions designed to elicit information about the
healthcare project in order to create a Program for Design (PFD) based on the criteria
parameters set forth in this document. Input Data Statements could be Mission
related, based in the project's Concept of Operations; and Workload or Staffing
related, based on projections and data provided by the VHA or the VISN about the
estimated model of operation for the facility. This information is processed through
mathematical and logical operations in VA-SEPS.
G. Net-to-department-gross (NTDG): A parameter, determined by the VA for each 7610
chapter, used to convert the programmed Net Square Foot (NSF) area to the
Department Gross Square Foot (DGSF) area. The NTDG Departmental Conversion
Factor for Mental Health Clinic is 1.40.
Mental Health Clinic (Chapter 260): Page 260-2 of 9
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