Wellness
“I weighed over 300 lbs. and took medication for my blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol. The Wellness Unit was the vehicle that got me started on a healthy lifestyle. Now I am down to 191 lbs. and off all of those medications.” —John
Poor preventive health care is an epidemic among those with serious mental illness, resulting in a life expectancy 19 years shorter than the national average. Our Wellness initiative was created in 2004 in response to the tragic deaths of four members under 40 within a month. Comprised of many components, it is incorporated throughout Fountain House.
Healthy foods are available daily for a nominal price in the Culinary Unit. In addition to the lunch entrée and a vegetarian alternative, a fresh salad bar and homemade soup is offered. Nutritional information for each item served is posted.
Nutritional counseling and weight-loss support is offered to members and staff through a weekly group. Participants are encouraged to “buddy-up” to increase accountability and encouragement throughout the week.
Access to on-site fitness equipment underscores the importance of exercise to a healthy lifestyle. A variety of cardiovascular and weight machines are available for use throughout the day. Once members have gained some degree of comfort in this setting, we encourage them to take advantage of low-cost gym memberships offered through our community partner, the McBurney YMCA.
After undergoing fitness assessments, personal training groups of six to eight members learn appropriate stretches, mat exercises, and use of the fitness equipment to help them reach their individual goals.
A three-day immersion program at High Point Farm enables members and staff to jump-start their personal wellness efforts. Led by a certified trainer, each month a small group lives together and explores how to integrate practical, healthy choices into their lives. Activities include exercise, economical food shopping and preparation, visualization, and motivational techniques.
Workshops on a range of topics from preventative testing to stress management are regularly offered.
Our extensive smoking cessation program is one of three pilot projects in New York City grant-funded by The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Thanks to a very generous gift from Adam and Peter B. Lewis, we expect to open our newly renovated Wellness Center in fall 2010. Enhancements include a teaching kitchen and expanded space for group exercise. Christopher Scholz and Inés Elskop of Elskop Scholz have developed the design in close collaboration with staff and members to integrate this new program into Fountain House’s holistic approach to mental health.
The Storefront
We understand that close coordination with psychiatrists and general practitioners is a good practice, so in order to better serve our members, we have developed a special group practice of physicians. This group of doctors operates at a nearby location and serves about one-third to half our membership.
Treatment is truly integrative – it not only affords a member the luxury of having their psychiatric and medical records in one location, but it also relies on a team-based approach that includes staff workers and other key relationships. The member is the leader of this team and chooses who they would like to include in these meetings.
Within the evolving health care legislation, the concept of a “medical home” is being developed. We see the Storefront operation as the medical home for a group of our members – a place where both their psychiatric and medical needs can be met through a coordinated effort of care. We hope to build the capacity to provide these services to 500, depending on the interest and the need.
In June 2010, the Storefront operation is moving to new, expanded quarters on 37th Street. The renovations are due to the generosity of the Sydney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation.
