St. Luke's LifeWorks - Living Our Potential

Living Our Potential

Mental Health Recovery Programs

The goal of LifeWorks’ Recovery Programs is to successfully integrate adults with a history of multiple or long-term psychiatric hospitalizations into the community by providing supports and the skills training required for independent living.

Our Mental Health Recovery Programs are composed of three basic components:

Gilead House

Gilead House is located on Pacific Street in Stamford and provides a supervised residential program for up to 13 people who have had multiple or long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. Residents at Gilead House work with staff on a range of issues including housekeeping, hygiene, budgeting and socialization. The goal for all residents is to learn these skills, which will make it possible for them to transition from this supervised setting to a more independent living situation. Of the participants served last year, 100 percent increased the stability in their lives and their self-sufficiency. There is no limit on length of stay. The residence has four 3-bedroom apartments and a short-term one bedroom unit. Each floor includes a common area and there is 24-hour staff on-site. Common evening meals are provided by volunteers three times a week. Other meals are prepared by individual residents in their apartments.

Gilead Outreach

Provides supportive housing services to more than 50 adults each year with psychiatric disabilities who are living in their own apartments. Most of the participants of Gilead Outreach have mastered some of the skills taught at Gilead House but still require a level of support to maintain and increase those skills. Life Planning Coaches work with participants to develop and achieve goals and objectives which can lead to truly independent living.

Jail Diversion

Another component of the Gilead Programs was put in place as a way to keep persons with psychiatric disabilities out of prison while their cases move through the criminal justice system. The Jail Diversion program is similar to a bail alternative and is only available for persons committing either a misdemeanor or non-violent felony. Funding for the program comes from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and approximately 16 people a year are able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Contact Information:

Carol Knight, Living Our Potential Program Manager

Cknight@stlukeslifeworks.org