Jane Miller will never forget the time a physician phoned her from a closet.

“There was nowhere else to go. The doctor didn’t want anyone to find them. In such states of distress, employees need privacy and support,” says Miller, a responder and program administrator for RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) for the Johns Hopkins Health System.

With the opening earlier this year of the RISE Restorative Space, employees now have a space to comfortably unwind and decompress. Located on Osler 6 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the space includes rooms for relaxing alone, group gatherings and peer support.

The sensory room features a massage chair, bubble lights that change color, aromatherapy, a light projector and Bluetooth-connected speakers. Operated by the RISE team with support from the Office of Well-Being, the space was designed using neuroaesthetic principles based on research from the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) at the Pedersen Brain Science Institute.

Another room features a bed donated by a New York-based company that vibrates in sync with neural music to reduce stress. A third room provides space for confidential sessions with the RISE team, while a fourth room is a group gathering and art therapy space.

“We wanted a space where people could connect,” says Cheryl Connors, RISE program director. “We’ve also learned that peer support isn’t for everybody, and what the space offers is a variety of modalities for people to recharge, restore, refresh and relax in whatever way they choose.”