A Fairweather Lodge is a house where adults with mental illness live together. People who have experienced mental illness, whether having been treated in hospitals or other facilities or in out-patient clinics, face stigma from those in the community without the same experience.

The model is named after its creator, Dr. George William Fairweather, who first introduced the community living model in the 1960s with patients coming out of a VA hospital. His work continued to spread the use of the model in many states and regions.

A Lodge Coordinator is assigned to a Lodge (or Lodges). It is expected that the Lodge Coordinator will be at the Lodge 10 or fewer hours a week. The Lodge members create and enforce Lodge rules and expectations of the residents.

The members help one another to continue treatment, be productive, and positively involve themselves in their community. This interdependence is key to creating a home environment with a "chosen family" atmosphere. Groups can be all male, all female, or co-ed. Again, this is a Lodge decision.

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.

Lodges most frequently begin with a group of people self-identified as having psychiatric disabilities and/or their support team members who wish to use the model for permanent recovery focused living. Potential lodge members bring with them their skills, abilities and talents to work together to create a chosen-family environment. Lodge members elect leaders, and work together to develop group practices and problem-solving approaches.

The goal of the lodge is to utilize the small group problem solving process to generate solutions, and 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 frequently operate a small business. Each group must select a business to manage, 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 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 role in the community.

A Lodge can become a close-knit family; however, most members still consider their own families as one of their main sources of social support. Lodge members often spend weekends and holidays with their families and keep in contact through letters and phone calls. Frequently, Lodges will host events such as holidays and cookouts, and invite family members to participate.

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’ 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. The flexibility of the Fairweather Model lends itself to meet the needs of even specialized populations such as veterans, single mothers with their children, and those with a criminal record.

Information can be found on the Coalition for Community Living (CCL) website. This includes finding a Lodge near you. Many are sponsored by local mental health agencies, which can receive your application.

Your community worker, such as a social worker or care coordinator, can help with your application. You can also be referred to an agency directly from an in-patient setting.

The most important consideration is whether you would like to explore a permanent living situation where you are part of a group of people who live and work together.

The process to enter living in a Lodge can vary from agency to agency following the general process.

• Someone from the housing agency (for example, a Lodge Coordinator) works with the individual looking to come live at the Lodge to help decide if Lodge living is right for them.
• The current Lodge members meet with the individual and may:
• Give a house tour.
• Explain the expectations of anyone living in the Lodge.
• Take time to get to know the potential member.
• Discuss among themselves whether Lodge living will work well for the individual and whether the candidate will likely promote and help maintain the Lodge.
• Meet with the individual again later to make an offer to join their Lodge family.

Note: The housing agency or its representatives have no final say as to who would or would not live in the Lodge. That decision is for the current Lodge members to make by majority vote.

Living in a Lodge is a family environment and, like with any family, Lodge members are expected to work together to make the household run well.

• Provide support to each other.
• Cook meals.
• Keep the house and yard clean and neat.
• Work a paid job, volunteer, or go to school.
• Some Lodges start a business for which the members can work.
• The most important expectation is to be respectful to fellow Lodge mates.

Lodge Members must be in some sort of activity while living at the Lodge.

• Working
• Going to school
• Volunteering
• None of the above (only if retired), though even then many people volunteer.

A big misconception is that adults with a mental health diagnosis cannot work. The exact opposite is the case. Most people like to be part of a productive group or project, and everyone likes to earn money.

Many Lodges start a business as part of the Lodge. This is not a requirement, but it has been proven to be helpful and enjoyable by the members of the Lodge.

Examples of businesses include:

• Lawn Care
• Custodial
• Laundry Services
• Printing
• Furniture Building
• Transportation