Fairweather Lodge - Frequently Asked Questions
- What Is The Community/Fairweather
Lodge Program?
- How Does A Lodge Get
Started?
- How Does A Lodge
Operate?
- What About Family
Members?
- What Does The Future
Hold For The Community Lodge Program?
- What Are The Program
Principles?
The Community Lodge Program helps people
reintegrate themselves into the community. Its goal is to provide
emotional support, a place to live, and employment for its members.
The program was developed by Dr. George Fairweather in California in
1963 as a result of extensive experimental research. In his studies,
Dr. Fairweather found that people with serious mental illness are
less likely to return to the hospital when they live and work
together as a group, rather than live and work individually. His
research also showed that the Lodge Program helps people stay in the
community longer, provides more employment opportunities, and costs
less than conventional treatment programs. Because of the success of
the original groups, the Community Lodge Program has expanded
considerably during the past 25 years, and there are now Lodges
across the nation.
Historically, lodges most often started with a
group of hospital patients who volunteer to become Lodge members.
These patients were divided into groups whose members vary in skills
and capabilities. Groups elect leaders and work together to develop
group problem solving abilities. The goal of the group is to utilize
the small group problem solving process to generate solutions.
This type of group problem solving helps most
individuals complete their treatment programs more quickly than they
would do otherwise. Also, the ability to solve problems together is
crucial to the group's survival as a working lodge in the community.
Typically lodges are small groups of 4 to 8 people
who share a house and own a small business. Each group must select a
business to operate, for which they will develop and implement a
business plan. Lodge groups' businesses have included lawn care,
custodial or laundry services, printing, furniture building, shoe
repair, catering, and other services. Lodge members assume specific
positions of responsibility within the household and the
business-for example, the business may have a manager and a crew
chief; the household, a cook and a medication supervisor. There are
no live-in staff members at any Lodge, although each lodge has
access to a professional who is available for training and
consultation whenever the group requests his or her help. Staff
members are also on call 24 hours a day for emergencies. In
addition, Lodge members hire professional consultants-such as
accountants and lawyers-to assist with Lodge business operation.
Responsibility for the house and business improves the member's
self-confidence and helps them become more independent by giving
them a stable roll in the community.
A Lodge group can become as close-knit as a
family; however, most members still consider their own families as
one of their main sources of social support. Lodge members often
spend week-ends and holidays with their families and keep in contact
through letters and phone calls. Very often they enjoy the
reinforcement and encouragement given by their families, who, in
turn, feel proud of the member's progress and ability to live and
work in the community. In this way, the reintegration into the
community promoted by the Lodge can have a very positive influence
on the members's relationships with their families.
Currently there are more than 90 Lodges in 16
states, each one finding its way in the community and continually
searching for the "best" way to promote and implement the
Fairweather principles of independence and autonomy. The dynamic
nature of the lodge society necessitates the ongoing search for new,
effective methods to serve the multiple needs and desires of the
members.
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Members must
have a stake in the system.
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The system
must give as much autonomy to its members as is possible,
consistent with their behavioral performance.
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The subsystem
should have a vertical organization so that both a division of
labor is possible and a meaningful role can be found for all
members.
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Any created
subsystem must be compatible with the environment in which it is
implanted. Its internal social organization and its physical
location must be compatible with the broader society.
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The subsystems
designed must establish internal norms that are tolerant of the
deviant behavior that is normative for that group.
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A
communication system needs to be devised for each subsystem for
continuous information feedback to members about their
performance.
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Mobile entry
and exit from the subsystem should be possible without penalty
to the individual.
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Persons should
perform as groups wherever possible.
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Only a limited
number of people should participate in the subsystem.
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New social
subsystems need to be implanted in the community so they are not
dependent for their existence upon the good will of the
community in which they are implanted.
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The subsystem
must be arranged that individuals may substitute for other
individuals when required.
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The subsystem
should emphasize equally both rehabilitative and work norms.
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Person must
establish an appropriate mechanism for handling medication.
