Fellowship Place, One Supportive Community Fostering Mental Health - Ep.33

“Housing…employment…daytime structure. There needs to be something for people in between all those medical appointments in order to really have a positive meaningful life.” -  Guest Mary Guerrera, Exec. director 

After hospitalization - what? Many people with mental health issues, and their families, struggle to find answers to that question.

What would true support and community look like? What is possible?

Fellowship Place in New Haven, CT has the following mission statement:

Mission Statement

To serve adults living with mental illness by offering a full range of therapeutic support and rehabilitation services that promote independence, wellness, and a meaningful life.

Our guest today is Mary Guerrara, Executive Director of Fellowship Place.

Terms to know:

HUD = Housing and Urban Development

NAMI = National Alliance on Mental Illness

NIMBY = “not in my back yard” 

We ask:

1. What is Fellowship place? Mission and how you make it work .What is it like there? 
2. Your personal story - why do you do this work?
3. How is it funded?
4. How can someone get a placement?
5. What are the challenges? 
6. How can families help? -  ADVOCACY. Fight for research. etc.

Quotes: from Mary

“You can’t take no for an answer” 

“The most significant thing that I have found in my career is how you can't just rely on the government, you can't just rely on professionals, you really need a partnership.”

“Families can advocate for more funding to be able to develop projects that combine all of these elements:  affordability, support services, and a peer support network.”

“There needs to be something for people in between all those medical appointments in order to really have a positive meaningful life.”

Links: 

https://fellowshipplace.org/ 

Pathways:

https://pways.org/

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Want us to cover a topic? Ask us a question? Facebook page @Schizophrenia3Moms

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”)

Miriam Feldman – Artist, Mom, Author “He Came in With It”

Mindy Greiling – member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. Activist, Legislator, Author (“Fix What You Can“)

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Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman