6 St. Joseph House
…encouraging people at the crossroads of their lives
A Practical and Creative Approach to Engaging Citizens
in More Compassionate Responses to the Challenges of
Livelihood and Homelessness
6 St. Joseph is a compassionate place of friendship, people who are taking a step up from livelihood challenges, while connecting them to a “home” and a community of people ready to help others. Many of its activities have the potential to serve as a model for outreach programs at other neighbourhood centres.
Located in downtown Toronto near Yonge & Wellesley St., 6 St Joseph House is a creative resource centre where everyone, no matter what their circumstances, has an opportunity to contribute their talents, feel a sense of belonging, and receive support from one another.
It is a place where positive life-change is a realizable goal, and where people of all backgrounds pitch in to lead the programs & activities. From the beginning, the goal has been to invite people from diverse backgrounds to work together and support those taking positive steps out of addiction, social isolation, panhandling, and homelessness.
This Is How It Happens
Treatment
(our society handles this part well)
Hospitalization
Mental Health Treatment
Addiction Rehab
Broken Person living in despair or homeless due to mental illness and/or addiction
Returning To The
Same Environment
(this is where the
system breaks down)
(the revolving door)
>
>
OR...
Our Solution
Our solution is a community driven self-sustainable model that inspires personal dignity,
self responsibility and ability to contribute to society based on personal creativity, gifts and talents.
Recovering person regaining health, dignity, & self sufficiency
With our established relationships with organizations such as Margaret Frazer House and other mental health and alternative health organizations within our city we are able to connect our clients with the further help they seek. - We hope to expand this network.
Therapeutic Support Structure
We look to expand our ‘Social Enterprise’ network of resources and infrastructure to allow interested participants to develop their skills and talents to become self sustainable
Social Enterprise Opportunities
Through our existing ‘Yellow Door Learning Centre’ where life skills workshops are held by volunteers on a weekly basis - we seek to expand the ‘menu’ of options for learning.
Life skills
Workshops
Training
Education
Many Courses are offered at 6 St. Joseph’s that are centred around physical, mental and spiritual health and wellness. Meditation, Yoga, Nutrian and Well being classes are held on a weekly basis by volunteers.
Health, Wellness,
& Spirituality
Engaging with the local community is key in development. - Both for the individuals and the community itself. Our relationships with 'service clubs', 'faith groups’ and businesses has been instrumental in our success.
Community Engagement
Our community lunches, "open-mic nites", and opportunities to cultivate friendships is an essential component to a healthy life.
Social Engagement
Our ‘peer support’ model of supportive housing offers a dignified, compassionate safe living environment that is self-sustaining. This component is vital in recovery for many people.
Supportive Housing
Cultivating the creative passions of a person
can be one of the most powerful turning points in the process of recovery. Our exercises in art and music and drama are life changing for the individual.
Art, Music & Drama
Because of this community model and our
priority on ‘working your recovery’ with active participation in our great resource ‘ Alano Club’ used by many throughout the city and the supportive housing model of ‘Broadview housing’ the relapse rate of addicts from this program has been reduced to 30% from the national average of 90%
Addiction Recovery
With the help of further funding we can begin to document the compelling results we have been witnessing in each of these categories that contribute to the heath and well being of individual.
This ‘real world’ research will be invaluable to the continued understanding of mental illness.