Supportive Living


Volunteers of America provides long-term supportive services for people with severe and persistent mental illness. These services may include drop-in support or 24-hour residential supervision and assistance. Persons with severe and persistent mental illness receive a combination of training and social rehabilitation services to foster their capacity to live independently in stable, secure, and normalizing environments.  Many of the individuals served in these programs have had long periods of hospitalizations and yet have experienced successful community living with the supports provided by Volunteers of America.  Each person has an individualized support plan and is becoming as independent as possible.  Housing subsidies, on-site staff supervision, assistance with medication management, assistance with money management and shopping, transportation and assistance with personal care are all part of the continuum of supports offered by Volunteers of America staff.  Clinical staff, nurses, direct support professional, case managers and others make up treatment teams that provide the level of support needed by each individual. Assistance with employment, work training programs and assistance with maintaining benefits are also options available to individuals in supportive living programs. 

Featured Story: Gena's Story

Sitting in my chair reading the chart on Gena, I realize she is one of our most intriguing people. When Gena came to us, she had been working on her doctorate in molecular engineering and was active in extracurricular activities. She had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder in1993 and, subsequently, with schizo-affective disorder. Her first breakdown came while working on her master’s degree in microbiology at a local university.