14
Thursday, September 17, 1992
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
丰城街道
1337 Mass:
THE PHIL ZONE
841-1333
Monday, Sept. 28 Direct from Lollapalooza All ages welcome
The Jim Rose Circus Side Show
Night Lights
Tuesday, Sept. 29
SPECIAL BEAT
featuring members from the
Specials and English Beat
Be legal — be safe.
Lights from $12.99
Learn to Fly
Lawrence Air Services
Instruction • Charter
Service • Rental
916 Massachusetts Inc.
phone 841-6642
The University of Kansas
11the Annual
BUSINESS CAREER FAIR
All KU students interested in business careers are invited.
Tuesday, September 22,1992
1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Lawrence Holiday Inn Holidome Transportation provided. Buses will run from Summerfield and Stauffer- Flint every half hour.
Match career goals with available jobs
Investigate Internship Possibilities
Talk with company representatives
All majors are invited to attend
Over 80 companies represented
- Hallmark Cards, Inc.
- Proctor & Gamble - Finance
- Sprint Publishing & Advertising
- Metropolitan Life
- Sprint Publishing & Advertising
Metropolitan Line
Marion Merrell Dow
THE BUILDING BLOCKS TO A SOLID FUTURE.
- Big 6 Public Accounting Firms
New program to aid mentally ill Project Acceptance will expand self-help services
By Delin Cormeny Kansan staff writer
Beginning in early October, a turn-of-the century home in Lawrence will become the headquarters for a unique program for the mentally ill.
Project Acceptance, a local self help organization for the mentally ill, will expand its services, which include a drop in social center, a crisis intervention service and temporary housing for the homeless, in the three-story house at 407 Maine St.
Suzanne Wolf, assistant coordinator, said, "We're really a unique group in the country — people with mental illnesses trying to provide a mental health center to help each other."
Staffed by individuals with histories of mental illness, the house will be the focal point of Project Acceptance's effort to comfort the mentally ill.
She said a trend had developed in hospitals to release patients sooner than they used to. The organization will open a temporary half-way house Oct. 1.
"This is the first known mental illness, consumer-run organization in Kansas and one of the few in the nation," said Bill Simons, program coordinator.
"One of the problems we find with long-term mental illness is loneliness," he said. The center will try to combat loneliness and isolation by providing a place to socialize, play cards and games, and find companionship.
The drop-in center will be loosely structured, Simons said. It will operate with an open-door policy and will center on a simple concept — friendship.
Unlike many traditional centers, which are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, Project Acceptance's d-in-center will be open 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Presently, the program uses the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, 336 Missouri St., as the drop-in place Saturday evenings.
Daron J. Bennett / KANSAN
Many of the project's participants seek professional help at the Community Support Service at the Bert Nash center, but no professionals will be on hand at the project's house
Dale Craemer, the director for the Bert Nash center, said "This house that Project Acceptance is bringing on board is much needed. Persons with mental illness don't just need professional help. They also need support from their needs."
The second part of the project's efforts is a crisis intervention service, which strives to avoid hospitalization.
Wolf said, "A lot of times, if people had someone to talk to, they wouldn't have to go to the hospital. But if it's heavy duty and over our heads, we'll call in the next level of help. Most people who are mentally ill are not dangerous. Most are quiet, withdrawn and depressed."
The third aspect of the program is housing. There will be four beds available for temporary housing on a first-come, first-serve basis.
"Our guidelines are going to be a 30-day stay, but our policy is also not to put them on the street." Sims said.
"We have seen the number of homeless and mentally ill increase dramatically in Lawrence," Simons said, estimating that one-third to one-half of all homeless people are mentally ill. He said that three years ago, 15 of the 100 project's members were homeless. Last year, 38 of the 113 people involved were without homes.
The turn-of-the-century house that will become headquarters for Project Acceptance is at 407, Maine St.
Simons said the Salvation Army had the one homeless shelter in Lawrence, but it was only open from October until April.
"There's no excuse that for a town of this size and that has the resources to not have a homeless facility," Simons said. He pointed out that Lawrence recently allocated $250,000 to build four new baseball diamonds, while people sleep under bridges, in alleys and in other people's cars.
“It's frustrating,” he said. "We're glad to have what we have, but its like fighting a forest fire with a water pistol. We need much, much more."
Although Simons said Project Acceptance would not provide meals, it would offer transportation to and from local kitchens that provide meals for those in need.
The organization began in 1974 as an informal support network of less than 30 people, Simons said. It has grown each year and now includes 113 people. Simons estimated that the people would seek help and companionship at the new hospes.
June Weatherwax, who lives near the Project's house, said she welcomed the home in her neighborhood.
"It's all right with me," she said. "I'm interested in the project and I think we need it. I don't know how I'd feel if I were right next door, but I don't think I'd object."
There will be five part-time employees at the house, each of whom suffers from some form of mental illness, plus as many volunteers as can find time to help.
"One of our most desperate needs from the community—and we're crying out to the KU community—is volunteers." Simons said.
The nine-week training session began this week at the First Methodist Church and will continue once a week until Nov. 1. Sessions are from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wolf said the sessions would be videotaped for those who are unable to attend.
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