Norfolk Place
193 Norfolk Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

Physical Description

Norfolk Place is a residential program that provides mental health services. There is room for 9 residents, 6 men and 3 women. Each floor is a shared apartment. Each apartment has a common kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Both men's apartments, which are located on the second and third floors, have a separate smoking area. Currently, the women's apartment, which is located on the first floor, is non-smoking. The residents from this apartment use the second floor common room to smoke. In the summer time each apartment has an air conditioner installed in the living room by Cascap. Each resident has a private bedroom. The residents are responsible for paying their share of the electric and telephone bills in their own apartment. The residents cook their own meals and do other household tasks with some assistance from staff. The staff office is separate from the apartments to maximize privacy, independence and normalcy.

Neighborhood

Norfolk Place is located at 193 Norfolk St. in Cambridge. It is in a residential neighborhood, which is about a ten minute walk to Central Square and the Red Line on the T. It is two blocks from Prospect St. and several bus lines. It is also about a fifteen minute walk from the Inman Square/Cambridge Hospital area. There are several supermarkets and grocery stores in the area. There are food pantries located in the area and staff keep a current list of pantries in the staff office. There are a number of banks in Central Square, and a couple of pharmacies within walking of the house. Norfolk Place staff and residents have good relations with the neighbors and the immediate community is aware of the purpose of the residence.

Staffing and Services

Norfolk Place is staffed 15 hours a day, seven days a week. In the event that a resident is in crisis and needs additional support it is possible to have overnight staff.

Often, there are enough staff available to accompany residents into the community for shopping, banking, etc. Staff are also available in the residence to help with activities of daily living (i.e. doing laundry, cooking, doing chores) when requested and to ensure the safety of residents and the building. The main function of the staff at Norfolk Place is counseling. The staff are available for residents to talk to in times of stress and in good times as well. The staff have helped residents explore and pursue finding jobs, going to school, living with other people, and dealing with daily problems. They play many roles in the lives of the residents including counselor/advisor, teacher, mentor, landlord, and at times clinical liaison/case manager.