By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

A man was found dead at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey, Patch reports. The man was a patient named Nicholas Mauriello, who was admitted to the hospital in January 2024 after a suicide attempt. At the time of publication, his cause of death remains unknown pending investigation, NJ.com reports. 

Patient safety is especially critical in behavioral health facilities. Monitoring patients in these environments and intervening when necessary are key to keeping them safe. 

Mauriello’s mother was informed by a doctor that her son had been dead for about six hours before he was discovered, NJ.com reports. 

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Cameras can be placed in patient rooms at psychiatric hospitals to increase safety and security and to monitor patients who might present suicide risk or require isolation or restraints, according to Psychiatry Online. Appropriate staff and security can be sent in should a volatile situation arise. 

Security cameras also help keep watch of patients and their interactions with employees. The cameras could then alert security personnel if the interaction were to turn hostile or violent on either side.  

Some security cameras can also have audio analytics to detect unusual sounds, such as gunfire, shattering or aggressive voices. This allows security personnel and other staff to be more proactive and responsive to risky situations and prevents them from escalating.  

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.