We recently read about a non-profit in Alaska — Peer Properties, Inc. — that takes a unique approach to housing people who are diagnosed or diagnosable with serious mental illness and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Peer Properties does not provide services but operates instead on the peer support principle, i.e., the belief that relationships are based on shared experiences and values and characterized by reciprocity, mutuality, and mutual acceptance and respect. It is believed that working for the recovery of others facilitates personal recovery. Peer Properties neither encourages nor discourages the use of psychiatric medications but instead supports its tenants’ choices in the matter.

If you have had any experience housing the mentally ill in this fashion, please tell us about it.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 18th, 2007 at 5:13 pm and is filed under General Topics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.