December 17, 1999
By Lynne Watson, Writer's Workshop

Part I of IV

"Those first people who were moved out were some of the real risk takers in the sense of what it was going to be like, because no one knew."

LW: What is CASCAP and how did it begin?

MH: CASCAP began back in 1973 with a group of individuals who had been working out at Metropolitan State Hospital and some mental health workers who were working in the community - it was the first wave of deinstititutionalization and people were ready to leave the state hospital and there were really no places in the community for them.

A group of individuals, basically volunteers, who had a $2,000 budget with some very small foundation grants, located apartments with donated furniture, worked with the discharge teams at Metropolitan State Hospital, found apartments, and started moving people in. Those first people who were moved out were some of the real risk takers in the sense of what it was going to be like, because no one knew.

I'm kind of glad to say that some of those original volunteers are still on CASCAP's board, Doug Muir and Tom Sadtler. They have the perspective of being the ones who actually went out and got the donated furniture, scrubbed the walls, painted and got things ready for the first people who moved in. Since then, we've really expanded. You can find out more about CASCAP on our Web page, www.cascap.org.

LW: How many and what kind of residences does CASCAP run?

MH: CASCAP has 22 different sites that have as many as 10 person group homes in individual apartments. On the mental health side of our services, under contract with the Department of Mental Health, we serve approximately 150 individuals scattered throughout 22 different sites. We also have a number of different contracts with the City of Cambridge, or with the state and federal government dealing with the homeless and the elderly. We're actually under contract with the Cambridge Housing Authority, as part of their program, to basically work in all of their elderly housing. Technically we are responsible for every individual who lives in those buildings, although the caseload can vary.

LW: Could you be more specific about what you're doing for the homeless that are mentally ill?

MH: Through our Consumer Provider Program, we operate a training program in conjunction with Bunker Hill Community College that has both six months' worth of classroom work and six months of internship with different employers. I'm proud to say that CASCAP has hired some really good people who have come through that program.

Go to Part II of IV >>