Page 14 - Success Story Newsletter_Winter 2018

ASBURY > PARK Circulation (DMA): Tuesday, January 23,2018
Date:
NEPTUNE, NJ
Location:
SHUflK Type (Frequency): 119,695 (1)
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Easterseals New Jersey
they are part of that society,” said Kelly
Bowles, director of residential services
Refuge for for Easterseals* “It's about giving them
as normal a life as possible, assisting
See REFUGE, Page 4A
mentally ill them in becoming independent. That’s
our goal.”
The state has “supportive housing”
in Tinton contracts with 43 agencies, including
Falls home group home operators such as Easter­
seals. Such facilities have sometimes
drawn the ire of neighbors who don’t
Group program offers want adults with mental illnesses in
treatment — and hope their communities, assuming it would
Steph Solis lead to spikes in crime. Yet group homes
continue to launch in their towns be­
Asbury Park Press cause they are protected by federal laws
USA TODAY NETWORK - NEW JERSEY on housing discrimination.
Sitting at the dining room table of a
cozy Tinton Falls townhouse, Dwayne Advocates argue that the govern­
Patterson took out his pillbox and laid ment­funded group homes offer at­risk
out his tablets: one to curb his alcohol residents a chance to rebuild their lives
cravings, one for the voices in his head through cost­efficient programs. With­
and others sorted by color and size. out these programs, they could end up
“I haven’t heard no voices in about without access to treatment, ultimately
18 months, and it helps really well,” leading to homelessness.
said Patterson, 57, an Easterseals resi­ The National Alliance to End Home­
dent who has schizophrenia and is re­ lessness says “providing access to hous­
covering from drug addiction. “I take ing generally results in cost savings for
my medication twice a day. They let communities because housed people
me pack (the pillbox) for a week at a are less likely to use emergency ser­
time.” vices, including hospitals, jails and
Patterson is one of some 3,500 peo­ emergency shelter, than those who are
ple in New Jersey with mental ill­ homeless.”
nesses taking refuge in programs like The alliance cites a recent study that
Easterseals, according to the state Di­ suggests sheltering one person through
vision of Mental Health and Addiction Housing First, a permanent supportive
Services. He’s in one of 17 group homes housing program, leads to a savings of
operated by Easterseals in Monmouth $31,545 in emergency services. The
County. study cited in the National Alliance to
Some programs, such as Patter­ End Homelessness also suggests the
son’ s, offer group housing and monitor program could cost up to $23,000 less
residents for four to 12 hours at a time. per resident per year than a shelter pro­
Others let residents live alone and of­ gram. Today
fer health services. “Having a safe and secure place to
Thousands of program participants live is an important part of getting well, sans
have spent months undergoing mental giving people with mental illness a
health treatment and learning daily sense of pride, community and self­suf­
skills such as taking their medication, ficiency and helping them gain their in­
cleaning up after themselves and dependence,” said Ellen Lovejoy, a
cooking as they transition to living spokesperson for the Department of
alone. Health, which oversees the Division for
“Most of our consumers are coming Mental Health and Addiction Services. mmmm
out of psychiatric hospitals. Whether Starting over
they’re living in their own apartment
or living in a regular group home, it In his old life, Patterson said he spent
(the program) is to make them feel that his days panhandling and chasing his Page 1 of 3

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14 Easterseals New Jersey Success Story Newsletter 2018 LIVE · LEARN · WORK · PLAY