Clermont Counseling Center
HOUSING VISION
We believe that a majority of all severely mentally ill adults and families can and should live independently in the community

• In safe affordable housing of their choosing,
• Without time limits that require “graduation” to less intensive sites
• With accessibility to needed mental health services and community services,
• And supported to achieve recovery of personal and community roles.

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH'S VISION:
LIVING IN COMMUNITY
Every Ohioan experiencing a mental illness will live in a community that supports them and will participate fully in activities and services of their choice, with the hope of good health.“Community” conveys a sense of belonging, identification with others, and the availability of places and opportunities to pursue spiritual, recreational, and social development.”
The future challenge is moving from being in communities to being part of communities …. Community is not just a place to be, it is also a feeling of belonging.”
The efforts of and resources of formal mental health services should be to help each individual to intentionally develop and sustain a personal support network which may be augmented, but not dominated by formal mental health services.”

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CLERMONT COUNSELING HOUSING

1. We believe in the least restrictive alternative – that is a person should live in the most independent level of care he or she is capable of with supports added as needed.
2. Once a consumer no longer needs the specialized levels of inpatient or 24 hour supervised care, we believe that it is best to assist them in choosing, finding and keeping community housing that has the potential to become their long term housing rather than “graduating” them through a series of halfway houses and semi-independent apartment settings. Our role is to help the severely mentally ill become experienced in living in their own apartment and community, helping them make personal connections to neighbors, friends, and local resources and creating an intact system of natural supports.
3. We believe in the principle of normalization – that is living in housing with supports should be modeled to the ways in which anyone else rents an apartment, chooses it, cares for it, or experiences consequences if they abuse the rights and responsibilities of being a good tenant.
4. We believe that persons with mental illness should be able to live in attractive, decent, housing that would be acceptable to mainstream society and supplied with needed furniture and essential household items.
5. We also believe that it is important to sustain positive working relationships with private landlords and property owners who rent to our consumers and respond proactively.
6. Given our limited resources, we are committed to defining and supporting an administrative structure for the overall housing program that minimizes administrative duplication, is cost efficient, and maximizes multiple and diverse housing funding streams.

Clermont Counseling Center has advocated and provided housing alternatives to the mentally ill since 1975. We have always believed in the individual’s right to safe, affordable housing of choice that meets the individual’s needs.