CASCAP 1980-1981 Annual Report, con't
A Need in the Community Was Recognized
At this time there are more than 800 mentally disabled adults living in Cambridge and Somerville. For many of these men and women, finding secure affordable housing and adjusting to community life is an extremely difficult process which often ends in failure.
Since our inception, we have worked to provide residential treatment programs for adults with chronic mental illness within the Cambridge-Somerville community. It is our goal to provide a structured living environment which enables people to learn how to better negotiate relationships, develop their skills for home and community living and maintain treatment continuity. CASCAP also works to ensure safe, secure, and consistent programming; conditions we feel are crucial for the achievement of our goals.
It is Essential That We Work Together
CASCAP provides structured residential programs for people whose chronic mental illness have historically required long periods of care. The residents range in age from 21 to 66. Their ethnic backgrounds broadly correspond to the ethnic diversity of the Cambridge and Somerville communities from which they come. Their diagnoses range from simple and paranoid schizophrenia to manic depressive and borderline personality. There are also residents whose illnesses are complicated by substance abuse.
CASCAP residents are referred by the Cambridge and Somerville mental health agencies.
The CASCAP staff have developed long-term programming which integrates both milieu therapy and the teaching of daily living skills. For some residents, routine activities such as budgeting and socializing are difficult and training and support are needed to develop these skills. In addition, participation in day treatment, workshops, volunteer jobs or paid employment is important to develop the necessary skills for community living.
Because there are no standard formulas which insure success in community living, understanding each resident's unique problems and abilities is key to staff and resident interaction. Although our approach provides the structure and support needed to enhance residents' personal growth, it is through the resident's initiative that this goal is achieved.
The following description of each of our major programs depicts our changes and growth through this year.
The Apartment Program
Prior to fiscal year 1981 CASCAP consisted of two staffed apartments, four cooperative apartments and a rooming house project which provides living arrangements for four men. Under the direction of Karen Calhoun, the program has maintained a welcome stability amid the rapid growth of the two community residences.
Our two staffed apartments which house three adults each, had very little turnover and relatively few hospitalizations of residents considering their extensive hospitalization histories. During the year, men's recreation, money management, and gardening groups were introduced.
The cooperative apartments which house three to five adults each experienced a moderate number of changes. In September of 1980 a new group of women moved into three vacancies at one apartment. The women are younger than most CASCAP apartment residents, and generally work at paid jobs rather than requiring day treatment. A second apartment was closed; there were not appropriate applicants to fill the long-term vacancies and additional staff could not be employed to provide the assistance needed. After some deliberation, the residents remaining in the apartment were offered spaces in other CASCAP programs. Throughout the year, the remaining apartments were stable.
The rooming house project also experienced few changes. The three men who were living in the rooming house continued to participate in the program throughout the year. In November, a fourth individual moved into the rooming house and began participating in the program's activities.
The twenty-one men and women participating in the Apartment Program are developing their skills for community living. By sharing responsibilities for shopping, planning meals, and money management, residents are beginning to feel more control over their lives.
The Cambridge House
The Cambridge House represents community-supported housing at its best. CASCAP staff and volunteers from the mental health system spent days painting, scrubbing, buffing, sanding, and otherwise rehabilitating the building. The Godfrey M. Hyams Trust and the Charles F. Bacon Trust contributed a total of $20,000 that has been used to install an efficient gas heating unit and to make structural changes so that the house can continue to meet building code and state licensing standards.
The staff of 9 under the direction of David Junno was assembled over the late summer and fall of 1980 to develop program goals, treatment policies, and house rules. The staff screened applicants from all parts of the mental health system and selected ten to start individually tailored transition programs in November of 1980. On December 15, 1980, the first three residents moved in. Seven more residents moved in by February. Of the ten original choices, three women withdrew from the transition process (two of their own volition; one was transferred to the Somerville House). Three new were chosen to fill these openings. Presently, nine men and women are participating in the program. In the near future the program's resident capacity of ten should be attained.
The Somerville House
The Somerville House was renovated as part of a national demonstration project for HUD-supported housing for the mentally disabled. It was the first such house to open in Massachusetts and the third nationally. To acquire the residence, CASCAP won a major case in superior court which established a clear precedent for community residences for the mentally disabled to be considered educational institutions.
Like the staff of the Cambridge House, the ten Somerville House staff were hired over several months preceding the opening of the residence to set up the structure of rules and policies and to screen prospective residents.
In December, the Somerville House opened its doors to three men and women. By May, seven residents were participating in the program. During this time the staff and residents also welcomed a new director, Jayna Clark. Presently, the Somerville House is further developing its program policies and looking forward to accepting its tenth resident.
