There are numerous residential treatment centers in the US with varying treatment philosophies and perspectives. Those listed below are some of the more promising and all appear to have a holistic approach and provide services and therapies which address multiple needs of their clients:

 

Windhorse - http://www.windhorseimh.org/  Windhorse has locations in Northampton, Ma. and San Luis Obispo, Ca. The basic approach is mindfulness based therapeutic skills in a community setting. At every level of Windhorse care the intent is to take into account all aspects of the client's situation, working towards integration and balance. The  programs are client centered, program goals and activities arranged to respect individual needs and interests. Clients in the residential programs live in apartments within the surrounding community. Family members can be included as collaborators in treatment and as full community members. A focus of treatment is to enhance client-family connections, and to offer skills that improve the overall health of the family. As all aspects of a person are interrelated, the focus extends beyond symptoms to encompass the environmental, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual well-being of the whole person. Basic Attendance is a fundamental skill practiced by Windhorse clinicians in the course of daily activities which is used to focus awareness on the immediate needs of the moment. It is a basic premise of our approach to recovery that A wellness nurse consults to each client's program. The goal is to establish habits of good health through exercise, proper nutrition, adequate rest and stress management.

 

Prakash Ellenhorn - http://www.prakashellenhorn.com/  PrakashEllenhorn uses a “single-source” “whole person” model of care delivery, serving the individual from a single, highly coordinated multidisciplinary team to provide, when needed,  a therapist, a psychiatrist, someone for vocational help, health and nutrition, and a day treatment program, clubhouse, or partial hospitalization program. Services can be provided, again as appropriate in the home, hospital or their residential center. Many types of therapy are offered. The client is viewed as a partner in her care management, choosing between diagnosis by a multidisciplinary team of experts or  through a  more informal “open diaglogue” [see here] process where, through a process of discussions with their team, the client gains greater understanding of themselves.

 

Gould Farm - gouldfarm.org Gould Farm is the first residential therapeutic community in the nation dedicated to helping adults with mental illness move toward recovery, health and greater independence through community living, meaningful work and individual clinical care. The supportive community is made up of residents, staff and their families, and offers a full continuum of care. The sense of self-worth generated through the work program and the increased capacities provided by living in community are the foundations of the therapeutic work. Working a 30 hour week, guests are taught on-the-job skills they can use as they work with the farm animals, the vegetable and flower gardens, the woodshop, auto shop, kitchen, housekeeping, Harvest Barn bakery, Roadside Store & Café and the administrative offices. Classes and activities in the arts and physical activity are an integral part of the program.

 

CooperRiis Healing Community - www.CooperRiis.org CooperRiis is in western North Carolina. Residents learn new ways to gain coping skills, learn to become independent and attain fulfillment in life through a comprehensive program that addresses mind, body, spirit and heart. The program helps residents recover in 7 areas, Social/Community Connectedness, Purpose/Productivity/Fulfillment, powerment/Independence, Emotional and Psychological Health, Physical Wellness, Spirituality, and Intellectual/Learning/Creativity. Residents work in the community to learn skills as well as help them to restore their identity as responsible citizens of the community of which they are a part. There are 4 community levels of increasing independence but continued connection. Health is optimized with nutritious food and supplements, Yoga, meditation, walking, exercise programs, smoking cessation support,  massage therapy and wellness coaching as a regular part of the program. Therapies, such as acupuncture, cranial-sacral therapy and biofeedback can be arranged on an individual basis.

 

Four Winds - http://www.fourwindshospital.com Four Winds has residences in Saratoga Springs and Katonah, NY. “Everyone will be treated with the dignity and respect to which they are entitled.  Our goal is to offer the kind of intensive, compassionate care that will end the revolving door of psychiatric hospital admissions experienced by many who suffer from mental illness.  There is the full expectation that patients will recover.” Four levels of treatment, inpatient, partial hospital, intensive outpatient, and outpatient, are offered.

 

Earth House - http://www.earthhouse.org/index.html  Earth House located in a rural community near Princeton, New Jersey, Earth House accommodates a maximum of 14 residents. Earth House combines a medical and an educational approach. Orthomolecular (see section on orthomolecular psychiatry) physicians supervise the medical treatment of the students. A visiting nurse, a behavioral optometrist, a chiropractor and an acupuncturist are also available. Medicines and nutrients are prescribed by physicians, complemented by a wholesome diet, daily exercise and the development of habits that will assist recovery and support continued good health. Residents are referred to as students rather than patients. There are also teachers of nutrition, exercise, arts, crafts, dance, drama, writing, and literature.

 

 

Fountain House - http://www.fountainhouse.org  Fountain House is a clubhouse, a community-based center that offers members opportunities for friendship, employment, housing, education, and access to medical and psychiatric services through a single caring and safe environment, so members can achieve a sense of belonging and become productive members of society. Fountain House believes that members are partners in their own recovery, rather than the passive recipients of treatment, and that meaningful work and relationships are integral to mental health. It provides housing with 24 hour staffing, as well as assistance in finding housing with lesser degrees of involvement. Peer assistance is key in providing assistance and services. 

 

Other clubs in the US and around the world and can be found at the Club House International directory:  http://www.iccd.org/clubhouseDirectory.php?country=USA

[see here]

 

You can read about one successful residential program that no longer exists: Soteria: Through Madness to Deliverance (Mosher & Hendrix, 2004).