ASCEND’s Restorative Residential Program are houses and apartments where individuals with psychiatric disabilities live while developing skills needed for independence. Programs are designed to offer different levels of support to a person in their efforts to achieve his/her highest level of well-being, while reducing costly hospitalizations by providing caring and skilled intervention in times of crisis. Services promote a person’s capabilities through companionship, education, counseling, vocational training, and respite, and the duration of each person’s stay is based on their individual needs. These programs are available to those individuals who are of 18 years of age or older.
Community Residences: Genesis and Pearl Street
Genesis and Pearl Street residences offer a group home environment which provides a high level of support for people in the earliest stages of recovery. The overall goal is to provide short-term, focused skill development in a home-like setting.
The first step in treatment is defining and developing a rehabilitation plan which aids a person’s movement to the next stage in their recovery. This individualized, highly detailed plan clarifies needs, charts a course of action and provides the framework to evaluate progress. Services available to residents include crisis intervention, rehabilitation counseling, social and living skills development (money management, personal hygiene, food preparation, meal planning, recreation activities, etc.), symptom and medication management, community integration and resource development. On duty around the clock staff work closely with each resident to maximize stability and help in the transition to a less restrictive environment. Longer term assistance is available for people with problems preventing them from living outside a group setting.
Community Living Apartments: Maple Street and Satellite Apartments
The Community Living Apartments Program offers two types of living arrangements: Maple Street and Satellite apartments. Both include support and guidance through individualized service plans created in partnership with the service recipient.
Services are a continuation and expansion of those services provided in the Community Residences and carry the ultimate goal of achieving an independent, successful life for each resident. Residents learn more about managing symptoms through medication and therapy, improving daily living skills, pursuing educations, vocational and employment goals, solving transportation needs, and increasing their comfort with broader social interaction. Staff meet with recipients from one to seven days each week to provide direct services and supportive counseling.
Maple Street is a single-site apartment building with nine units and 24 hour staffing. Residents maintain separate addresses and telephone numbers, and take responsibility for the upkeep of their living space.
Satellite Apartments, the most independent living level, uses individual apartments throughout the community that are leased by ASCEND. Staff provides services through regular visits and an On-Call system is utilized in case of an emergency.
Supportive Residential Services:
Scattered Site Supported Housing
Supported Housing helps those individuals ready to leave psychiatric centers or community residence programs, as well as homeless people with psychiatric disorders, in finding quality, permanent and independent housing for themselves. A person is assisted in locating and moving into a new home by finding the location, evaluating a lease, selecting furniture, etc., all while receiving financial assistance throughout the process based on the individual’s needs. After having settled into a new home, clients regularly work with the ASCEND Supported Housing staff to maintain stable living in the community.
Housing First
Housing First provides safe, affordable, permanent housing for 18 individuals with histories of being homeless as well as being disabled by mental illness and/or substance abuse. The priority of this housing model is to provide stable housing in an empowering, supportive environment with the goals of increasing residential stability, enhancing tenant skills and fostering greater self-determination. The program consists of 12 one bedroom and 6 studio apartments, a community area and a large fenced in yard.
Cooper Street
Cooper Street Apartments provide safe, affordable, permanent housing for individuals who are homeless. There are 29 units total, 14 of which are for people dealing with mental illness, 4 units allocated for survivors of domestic violence, 6 units for chronic homeless and 4 family units. Referrals are made through coordinated entry.
To learn more about our residential programs check out these two videos.
Dayna Peck of Look Media Resource spoke with the CEO of ASCEND and the President & CEO of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce about the impact our Cooper Street Apartment. See the video here.
For a tour of the Cooper Street Apartment building check out this video.
Interim Room
Interim Room provides individuals who are homeless with temporary housing in a 12-bed apartment unit located at 50 Cooper Street. The interim unit consists of 6 bedrooms that can hold 2 guests at a time. There are 3 shared bathrooms. All guests share a common kitchen, living room and laundry room. As of right now all intakes for our interim room have to be single-male adults.
Our Assistant Coordinator of Emergency Housing Services will work actively with everyone to find permanent housing. Our interim room program will assist individuals with obtaining credentials, finding employment, and referrals to counseling services. Each new interim guest will complete an assessment and an individual plan is made to address their specific needs and goals. We offer short-term care management for those who do not have it.
We offer independent living skills groups each week to teach the skills to guests to assist them into being successful within the community. Each week they will be responsible for rotating cleaning assignments to assist with upkeeping the interim room. The laundry room is provided to the interim room guests free of charge. Each guest is responsible for their own laundry detergent. Guests are responsible for providing their own food, but the staff will assist in helping them apply for SNAP. Cooper Street staff will assist with transportation for appointments, grocery shopping when available.
Weekly interim group meetings are held as a way to foster connection as team to communicate, keeping everyone on the same page. Guests are encouraged to take part in recreational activities and events that are available at Cooper Street and within the community.
If you know someone who is currently homeless and in need of housing the first step is to contact Ashley Varney the Assistant Coordinator for Emergency Housing at (518) 660-7575 or avarney@ascendmw.org to schedule a screen with the individual to assess appropriateness.
Information and Referral
For more information or referral contact us.