Creating Intentional Community for parollees and adults in transition
BACK TO LIFE, is a transitional housing center for parollees & adults in transition. Frustrated with the lack of progress, an "Intentional Community" was created to empower people toward justice, healing, and sustainabiity. Professionals moved in & committed to creating a healing place for themselves and the vulnerable. It's a win-win.
About You
Section 1: About You
Section 2: About Your Organization
Organization Name
Community Wellness Services, Inc.
Organization Website
http://none yet
Organization Phone
626.840.0592
Organization Address
P.O. Box 94891, Pasadena, CA 91109
Organization Country
United States
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Your idea
Name Your Project
Creating Intentional Community for parollees and adults in transition
Country your work focuses on
United States
Describe Your Idea
BACK TO LIFE, is a transitional housing center for parollees & adults in transition. Frustrated with the lack of progress, an "Intentional Community" was created to empower people toward justice, healing, and sustainabiity. Professionals moved in & committed to creating a healing place for themselves and the vulnerable. It's a win-win.
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The idea of intentional community is NOT really unique; just maybe the part of adapting it be inclusive for and targeted to parollees and adults in transition. The concept of urban gang members often originates in the search for belonging and acceptance. We all need such a setting. Many social programs target foster care youth, but transitional adults and parollees with mental illness face the same issues with very few resources available.The idea for intentional community came from the Association of Intentional Communities, a network of over three hundred communities world wide who are empowering people to be powerful forces of justice and sustainability. The implementation is also patterned after the anabaptist faith communities of the Amish and Mennonites, where the mentally ill are treated with wholeness, compassion and respect within their individual limitations and free from stigma.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
There are eight residents who are stable and doing well, and have lived in one location for greater than one year.
Problem
For the past five years, Community Wellness Services, Inc. in Pasadena, CA has been operating the BACK TO LIFE PROGRAM, a transitional housing center for parollees and adults in transition. Most have clinical mental health issues, and most present with a history of being the foster care system, past treatment for mental illness, homeless, substance abuse, or a combination of all. Very few have never experienced the stability and strong relationships that only a family environment can provide. Lives of the residents are characteriacts by shallow human relationships and emotional depth; after being hurt and rejected for a lifetime it is difficult to heal or to even have the courage to accept human love. As a result this population is "always on the move", in and out of transitional care homes, hospitals, and prisons like a revolving door. Any assistance provided by highly-funded outpatient mental health agencies is inadequate, and a huge burden on the social service system is created.
Actions
The only way to stop this revolving door and offer a sense of stability for these "wanderers" is to create family: an intentional community of healthy aduts and families who agree to live together, eat meals together, and share life together in a demonstration of traditional family unity. Goverance of the community will be shared and economic resources may or may not be united. Each member will have shared responsibility and tasks to assure a clean health environment for all. Most current members are professionals, many in the health care field, that possess special insights and abilities to address any physicial or mental health issues that may be identified. They will continue their daily lives and normal employment, yet agree that they have so much more to offer society beyond their forty-hour work week. This "intentional community" is housed in two duplex residences, adjacent to each other in a residential community. Each duplex has four bedroom and two baths, making a total of sixteen private room. With some rooms shared by children, couples, and single adults the total living capacity and maximum size the community can accommodate is thirty people, with 10-15 beds for transi.
Results
It works. Many many mentally ill adults experience extreme and deep lonliness. When given the opportunity to feel loved and accepted, and to come home every day to structure and stability, is just what is needed for those who cannot do that by themselves. Professional guidance is availability to develop individual growth plans for new members of the community, with periodic evaluation and new expectations developed as goals are met. The quality of the program is based on daily goals met and long range milestones achieved toward health. The ultimate goal is for those who started as transitional adults to progress to become productive citizens.
The larger neighborhood around the intentional community are learning about and even sometimes sharing in the purposes of the intentional community. Holidays and special events often include interaction with the larger Pasadena community, and mental health stigmas and barriers are broken away. We plan to hold "mental health awareness" days for local school children to tour the center and to learn about mental health issues. The leadership is very involved in local government and social events. It's a win-win for all stakeholders.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
Back of Life, an intentional urban community for healing and sustainability, plans to expand to include even more centers able to accomodate even more adults in transition. The idea for intentional community came from the Association of Intentional Communities, a network of over three hundred communities world wide who are empowering people to be powerful forces of justice and sustainability. The implementation is also patterned after the anabaptist faith communities of the Amish and Mennonites, where the mentally ill are treated with wholeness, compassion and respect within their individual limitations and free from stigma.
Winning the Changemakers Award for mental health would go a long way to assist with our mission and growth. Your vote would be appreciated. Thank you Sincerely.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
How many people will your project serve annually?
Fewer than 100
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$100 ‐ 1000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Community Wellness Services, Inc.
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Approximately 150 words left (1200 characters).
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1. Capital improvement funds to fix up the previously forclosed property.
2. Funds to purchase a second and third property adjacant to the original.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The transition housing center started out being operated as a "business". The revolving door of residents, and people leaving in the same circumstances in which they arrived, became frustrating. There had to be a better way. We needed to design something that could make a lasting difference.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
 | 144 weeks agoEva Meyers updated this Competition Entry. |
| 144 weeks agoEva Meyers updated this Competition Entry. |
| 144 weeks agoEva Meyers submitted this idea. |
| 145 weeks agoEva Meyers submitted this idea. |
