New opportunities -- Working with the mentally ill.

[Guest guest]

Dear members,

 

I am about to take part in a new area of healing which has always been

a high priority for me. For the past 7 years I have volunteered with

an organization called Fountain House.

 

http://www.fountainhouse.org/

(from their website)

 

A PROGRAM AND A PLACE

 

Fountain House is a professional self-help program, operated by men

and women recovering from mental illness, in collaboration with a

highly professional and caring staff. The emphasis at Fountain House

is on relationships – member to member, and member to staff. Members

engage with each other to regain their productivity and

self-confidence, resume their lives, and re-enter society. They take

part, as well, in promoting their rights, and in erasing the stigma

that often separates them from their neighbors.

 

Since its founding in 1948, Fountain House has served a total of more

than 16,000 men and women. Its innovative " clubhouse " model is today

the basis for more than 400 similar programs in 32 countries around

the world, assisting some 50,000 men and women. The Fountain House

concept has been adopted in part by another 1,000 programs in the U.S.

and abroad.

 

Fountain House is also a building — home base for the organization's

activities. A five-story mansion-like complex, it encompasses some

57,000 square feet, including four outdoor gardens. The building has

been updated from time to time to meet the changing needs of Fountain

House members and staff as they create and operate Fountain House's

diverse programs, administer the organization, tend to their lives,

work and study, dine and relax, and make friends.

 

THE WORK

 

Fountain House's programs and partnerships originate in its units.

Each unit is " home base " for a number of members and staff, who work

together to develop and operate a particular activity. In each unit,

as well, staff members provide community support for members, to

ensure that they receive the benefits and services they need, from

both Fountain House and beyond.

 

Members volunteer their work, to make Fountain House work. Together,

members and staff are able to derive a sense of accomplishment, build

skills, and establish relationships, helping everyone to know that

they are needed and appreciated.

 

-----------------

 

I will begin giving massage at discounted rates to the staff and

members soon. . . we are still working on how to bill for insurance

(Medicare and Medicaid) to assist in the members payments.

 

I am SO excited to work on people in such great need who RARELY (if

ever) will have otherwise received a professional healing session by

someone energetically/physically/spiritually minded.

 

I am hoping to:

 

1. Provide a space for the members/staff/whomever to lay out their

experiences with the medical world and what DIDN'T work

 

2. provide either yoga, aromatherapy, shiatsu or other body treatments

as appropriate to help them not only regain a belief in the

possibility of healing, but in the possibility of regaining control

over their own health.

 

3. Educate about non-typical traditions beyond the western model such

as -- meditation for stress relief, aromatherapy for insomnia, self

massage to help improve dry skin caused by high doses of medications,

yoga and exercise to combat the slowed-metabolism obesity caused by

higher doses of psychiatric mediations etc. etc. etc.

 

4. Explore with these beautiful souls ways in which they can achieve

more physical comfort with their physical/energetic bodies.

 

If you or anyone you know has worked with people suffering from mental

illness, please let me know and ask them to write to the group (and me

so that I don't miss any responses) and share their experiences.

 

Thanks!

 

-Hannah