A little over three decades ago, before Diane Fondow began spending time at Seward Community Support Program, she described her life as pretty unsatisfying.
“I was living in a group home with two other women,” Fondow recalled. “My day consisted of going to the hospital, doing groups focused on my mental health and then going home and doing nothing, staring at the wall.”
Fondow’s case manager suggested she visit Seward CSP, a community hub and drop-in support center for people with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), including debilitating forms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Frustrated with the lack of friendships and connections in her life, Fondow decided to give it a try — a trial visit, she thought.
It didn’t take long to realize that Seward CSP was exactly what she was looking for. She found a community of peers who could understand her struggles and a support staff to help her tackle day-to-day issues, like communicating with landlords or managing benefits. A free homemade meal each day didn’t hurt, either.
“People weren’t just focused on my mental health. They were focused on life in general. The members were friendly. The staff was friendly. I made a lot of friends.”
In late September, Fondow and her peers joined staff in celebrating Seward CSP’s 30th anniversary. After an unexpected closure over the summer to repair a damaged roof, the party felt like a homecoming.
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“Thirty years is a long time,” Fondow said. “We’ve been fortunate because we have had each other for so long. We need a celebration.”
The symptoms of SPMI show up in multiple ways, but most people who live with them share a struggle to build connection and community, explained Ann Henderson, CEO of Mental Health Resources, the St. Paul-based nonprofit that operates Seward CSP.
Many people with SPMI “don’t feel welcomed everywhere,” she said, explaining that their symptoms sometimes manifest in ways that make others uncomfortable or afraid. As a result, many suffer from loneliness and isolation, Henderson said, making programs like Seward CSP an essential support..
“People can come here and not be judged, and they can have fun and see their friends,” Henderson said. “They can also get help. They can eat a meal. They can talk about paperwork.” For some members, the CSP is their one reliable community touchpoint.
“We have had experiences where a member may have fallen ill, and that call can be life-saving,” Henderson said. “We’ve also had experiences where we’ve identified somebody who has passed.”
Filling a gap in mental health care
Beginning in the 1950s, states shut down many psychiatric institutions in favor of community-based care seen as more effective and humane. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams assisted patients with health care and independent living, but “there was still a missing piece about how do people create community when they don’t feel welcomed anywhere,” Henderson said. “The CSPs filled that gap.”
By design, CSPs offer low barriers to entry. To become a member, a person needs to visit at least one day a year, Henderson said. “We don’t require people to take certain medications. We don’t require that people are free from drugs or alcohol. We do ask them to be appropriate for the community.”
That simplicity of access is key, said Tara Inveen, Seward CSP’s program manager. “Waiting time to get screened for in-home services is 16 weeks,” she said. “But we’ve been in the same spot for 30 years. People can go away for a long time and then come back to town, and we’re still there.”
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Most days, 40 to 50 people show up at Seward, of several hundred registered members. Once inside, they might grab a cup of coffee, read the paper or catch up on work at the computers. And there’s usually a friendly game of Skip-Bo. Staff are on hand to assist with the details of life that can quickly become overwhelming, like making an appointment or sending notice to a landlord.
For now, the program receives funding from the nonprofit Mental Health Resources along with Hennepin County dollars directed at adult mental health. Henderson said funding cuts at the federal level are worrisome, but the impact remains to be seen. “The county gives us less money today than they did 20 years ago to run the program. There is more need everywhere.”
‘We talk about life… and that’s good.’
Seward CSP’s unexpected closure over the summer months to address building repairs only emphasized its need in the community, Inveen said. Though staff explained that the program would open again and even scheduled regular group meetups, many members still felt unmoored.
“It’s such a big part of people’s lives and their routines,” Inveen said. While the community of peers is central, “if they have a terrible day or if their symptoms increase or if there is a safety issue, [staff] supports are there for them.””
For Fondow, the community has been life changing. Prior to Seward CSP, she was in and out of the hospital, seeking treatment for her most severe symptoms.
“I was trying to find something other than hospitalization, and it worked. I have not been in the hospital for 10 years,” she said.
The daily meal, prepared by a current member hired for the job, is a central touchpoint, Inveen said. “There is a ton of food insecurity with the people we’re working with. We try to make it as healthy as we can, and have a variety. People always show up for the meal.”
For Fondow, sharing a meal is healing. “We talk about ourselves, we talk about our animals, going to the movies, going to hockey games. We talk about life. It’s not just, ’I’m depressed today,’ or, ‘I don’t feel good.’ We’re there for each other, and that’s good.”
The post For 30 years, this Minneapolis center has been making life more livable for people with severe mental illness appeared first on MinnPost.
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