May 11Addressing Mental Health and Wellness Through Resident Services Programming
Did you know that 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year*? Or that 17% of youth experience a mental health disorder? May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the conversation around mental health continues to grow. For Mercy Housing residents, having access to service-enriched, stable, affordable housing leads to living a healthier life, both physically and mentally.
To paint a picture of mental health is difficult because the picture isn’t in focus. But thanks to our many partnerships with healthcare providers, nonprofits, and businesses from coast to coast, Mercy Housing continues to develop programming specific to residents’ needs.
Unity Circles Introduced in the Bay Area
For Britton Court Apartment residents in California, the Resident Services and property management teams used a generous grant from the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas to create “Unity Circles.” With the support of Trusted Space Partners (TSP), a national organization that guides affordable housing providers in improving the quality of life for all residents, the Unity Circles brought the community together to get to know their neighbors better and to discuss solutions to practical problems the community was facing, such as trash collection and parking.
Healthier Here Grant Addresses Mental and Behavioral Health
Meanwhile, Mercy Housing Northwest (MHNW) was awarded a grant from local nonprofit, Healthier Here. With a focus on launching a new initiative across seven Kings County communities, the grant helps to address mental and behavioral health through programming and training focused on improving the mental health of residents and staff. For MHNW Resident Service Manager, Vy Le, health and wellness had been on her radar for even longer. “Over the past few years, I have focused more and more on the health & wellness of residents,” she shared. “We always think about how to use a grant to support residents, but we wanted to support staff also because they are experiencing burnout, PTSD, and need support too.”
Teaming up to Address Mental Health | Mercy Housing
Art Therapy at Johnston Center Residences
For Mercy Housing Lakefront Resident Albert participating in one-on-one art therapy at Johnston Center Residences in Milwaukee has helped him to see a brighter future for himself.
Whether it’s through yoga classes, art therapy, or partnerships, Mercy Housing continues our dedication to providing the right access to services to help residents improve and transform their lives. As Mercy Housing Lakefront Batavia Apartment resident Sonya shared, “Being a part of each yoga session has helped me tremendously with having peace of mind.”
*Stats: National Alliance on Mental Illness
