Posted by Jane D on June 22, 2001, at 23:29:58
In reply to Re:Therapeutic environments » juniper, posted by medlib on June 22, 2001, at 20:40:38
> My idealistic view would be more along the lines of a co-op, where those who lived could work as they were able: farming, carpentry, cooking, cleaning... > Juniper
>
> Juniper--
>
> One example of your ideal therapeutic community exists somewhere in New England--wish I could remember the name. I saw a profile of it on PBS some time ago. Professional staff members and their families live and work alongside mentally ill patients on a large farm/commune. There's a communal dining hall, but separate living quarters of various sizes and shapes. The enterprise is at least partially self-supporting; since I missed part of the program, I don't know funding details. The camraderie seemed genuine and the environment appealing.
>
> Good luck on your coursework---medlibMedlib -
I think you may be thinking of Camphill Village in Copake, NY. It was based on an English program also called Camphill and if you look at their web site they mention a number of affiliated programs.
http://www.camphillvillage.orgThere are also some other programs that were inspired by the Camphill model. These programs were designed for the developmentally disabled rather than the mentally ill. I know of a couple for autistic people also.
Ironically these programs are threatened by advocates for the handicapped who insist that everyone must integrate with the larger community. They point to the scandals of the old institutions as justification. I think they overlook the fact that some people cannot integrate with the greater community even if you put them into a house next door. It may be too confusing for them or perhaps the neighbors just don't want to integrate with them. These smaller "sub communities" like Camphill may end up providing a far more normal life for some people.
Jane
poster:Jane D
thread:6505
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010622/msgs/6691.html