Well im now on the waiting list for supported housing. I was wondeirng if anyone else had ever been in it I wanted to hear other peoples experiances and I have some questions?
How "sick" are the people in supported housing?
How often do you see the social worker?
Were you allowed pets?
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
Did you find it beneficial
I know all experiances are diffrent and these questions are best directed at my cpn but i wont see her for 2 weeks and I wanted to find out more information.
- The degree of illness varies. In the first two houses, which were particularly awful, there were some people more unwell than i'd seen in hospital. But the last one i was at, most people were at college or had voluntary jobs etc
- There are generally staff 24 hours a day, sometimes they sleep overnight, sometimes they are on a waking shift. Depends on the place.
- It very much depends on the place. The ones I was at, we were, but it took a hell of a lot of persuasion.
- The first two houses were full of addicts and alcoholics with mh problems. I usually describe those places as more like crack dens, but I think that company was an exceptionally bad example of a supported housing. I would hope so anyway.
- I think it's usually that you get a room in a shared house.
- I got straight in from hospital, I'm not sure how long it would take from the community.
- I only did in the first two house, the second house I had no issues and made a few friends.
- I didn't find it beneficial, but I was having lots of extra issues, I know people in them who found it very helpful.
I'm fine! Totally fine. I don't know why it's coming out all loud and squeaky, 'cause really, I'm fine!
I've never been in supported housing but have visited several through work and they are all different especially as they are run by different organisations e.g. in my area I have been to supported housing run by four different companies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by angel of despair
How "sick" are the people in supported housing? This will depend on your level of need. Most places run supported housing on the following level of need, low support, medium support and high support. I know a few people in low support who have been very high functioning but equally some people in high support have been incredibly low functioning
How often do you see the social worker? Social workers may be employed by supported housing but it's more likely to just be generic support workers and again this will be dependent on the level of support you need. E.g. low support traditionally there will be someone available 9 - 5 monday to friday, High support someone will be available 24/7
Were you allowed pets? I very much doubt you will be allowed pets due to allergies etc.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic? If its mental health supported housing it's likely that some of the residents will have drug/alcohol but a lot of supported housing will have drug/alcohol restrictions in place and I know more people who don't have alcohol/drug issues in supported housing than those who do
Do most people share a house or have there own flats? Typically it's a big house that is shared. I've been to houses where the residents get an en suite room and share everything else and then houses were residents have self contained flats but there are communal areas to. In each house there is also a staff room and how big/clinical this is has depended on the level of support available
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
I live in supported housing in East Sussex, and I can honesty say I love it! The house itself is owned by the carer, and she is completely responsible for everything. A couple of her friends she pays as support workers, and she herself is paid by social services, and she has a SAO (supported accommodation officer) who checks everything is in order and does our reviews etc. It's pretty relaxed rules wise:
How "sick" are the people in supported housing?
It is quite a mix, there are two people that are learning disability and not MH, and although people have been quite ill, there is nobody who is very bad.
How often do you see the social worker?
We get support weekdays from 9:30 till 2:30 and then we have the house to ourselves, though if there is an emergency, we can call the carer at anytime.
Were you allowed pets?
There are no specific rules, we have talked many a time about getting a cat, and things such as rodents or fish in our rooms would be allowed.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
One of my housemates is an alcoholic and we have had her brought back by the police a few times, but it generally doesn't affect us at all. We have nobody that is a drug addict, drugs in the house are a complete no no, and you would probably be given your notice if you were caught.
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
I share a house. Own room but everything else shared.
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
I waited a month, though here in East Sussex it is all done based on priority, so the length of the wait would vary from person to person. Also it will be different in different areas so I can't really help with that one.
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
We sometimes have little arguments, but two of the people I live with are now very close friends and I will be in contact with them for a long time to come. We go on nights out, to the pub, around town together etc the others I'm not so close to, but we still get along well. In our house it's quite close knit
Did you find it beneficial
It has been fantastic I have come such a long way.
In this area, houses vary alot, as there are also some "therapeutic community" type places, and residential type places. I know that they also have flats so people can live independently with support.
If you need to know anything else, feel free to ask or drop me a PM x
Do not adjust your mind, there is a fault in reality
I've only been in one supported housing specifically for people with mental health issues. The other ones I've been in are generally for people who just have nowhere else to go. But I live in supported accommodation at the moment and I love it although it doesn't come without its difficulties. So anyway your questions:
How "sick" are the people in supported housing? It varies. Some people are in recovery and doing very well. However some people are quite ill and we do have someone that goes to hospital quite regularly. Although I also do this quite a bit. So we sometimes have the police down. Also there can be several things wrong so that can change people's behaviour. I think it differs between level of support and the people that are currently living there.
How often do you see the social worker?
My social worker closed my case so unfortunately I can't really comment.
Were you allowed pets?
There are two sides of our supported housing. The single rooms where staff have 24 hour access are only allowed fish, but I think the people who live in flats (which are also supported by staff) are allowed small rodents but again it depends on who you are and whether you can be trusted. Anything bigger than a hamster or gerbil wouldn't be allowed.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
We do have a few residents with alcohol problems but most of them are quite quiet it's only really at weekends that I hear them. Again we have people with minor drug problems but they are not permitted on the premises and legal action is taken if drugs are found on site.
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
There are two parts to where I live. Bedrooms that can be locked but staff are in the house 24/7. Then the flats next door where staff can go to and residents can access support 24/7. Again staff can go in if they think something's wrong. We then have two houses. So they're basically set up as house shares. One has 24/7 staff the other only 9 to 5 but staff on call.
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
Luckily I didn't as I went in straight from hospital however there is a long waiting list. We currently have no bedrooms free. And no-one is ready to move out.
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
One of the boys next door is annoying but he's not unbearable, I think you have to remember that some people are a more unwell than others but will get better over time.
Did you find it beneficial?
Yes. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't live here. I'd probably be homeless or dead. Possible both. They are very supportive and do keep me safe so that's a bonus.
I hope this was helpful x
I will love myself despite the ease with which I lean toward the opposite.
How "sick" are the people in supported housing? Varies, some have been very unwell, in and out of hospital, others seem really stable
How often do you see the social worker? I see support workers every week day for a few hours, but can call them all day and then there's an on-call number for out of hours emergencies
Were you allowed pets? not really
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic? I've not been in a house share, but some of the other residents are at least drinking a lot dunno about drugs, this worries me, but the support workers do their best to keep a check on it and we can always call them or the police if we're worried
Do most people share a house or have there own flats? i've only been in my own flat, one place had a shared lounge aswell, the new place doesnt
Did you wait long to get into the housing? a few months
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared? i've felt intimidated by other clients quite a lot, but i've always told the support workers and theyve tried to sort it out. Obviously some people, you're not going to get on with but as long as there is good staffing it shouldnt get so it affects your mental health
Did you find it beneficial? I do, if I wasn't here I would have to live with my parents which was really bad for my mentaal health!
Let the Force be with you
I'm not short, I'm space efficient
How "sick" are the people in supported housing?
Theres a mixture. Most people suffer with psychosis but it's controlled. It's medium supported housing so no one is severely ill.
How often do you see the social worker?
We have staff here that have to check in on us at least once a day. (it's medium supported housing so 9:30 am to 9:30pm. I see them often as they supervise my meds so i have to go down to the office twice a day.
Were you allowed pets?
Sadly not.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
Everyone here has a 'self contained flat'. There is someone who is an alcoholic but it doesn't effect anyone else in anyway.
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
'self contained flat/studio flat'
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
I was in hospital before I moved here.
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
There is one lady here who is a nuisance but I just try to avoid her.
Did you find it beneficial
I've found it hugely beneficial.
sticks and stones may break your bones but words can tear your heart out.
How "sick" are the people in supported housing?
In my first supported housing, there was one woman who had schizophrenia who was moderately ill and the other person had a learning disability. In my current supported housing, people aren't generally that ill (although one was and I was a few times rather ill while living here and I had to be sectioned), as this is low supported housing.
How often do you see the social worker?
The carer in my first place was a live-in carer. Here the carer comes in the evenings for an hour or two.
Were you allowed pets?
No.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
I've shared with a person that abused drugs regularly in my first place, but here alcohol is banned (although one person did smuggle it in a lot) and people who are dependent on illicit drugs are usually not accepted to live here.
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
In both of the supported housings I've been in, it is a house that is privately owned by the carer, but the council pays them (and gives us benefits) for the place to be run.
NB: this supported housing is a bit unusual as it is privately owned and not run by an organisation as such.
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
I was homeless and "living" in hospital for five months beforehand.
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
Yes I've had several problems, one of the times when I had to get advice from a police officer that I know from my local police station. However the carers simply evict the person if they cause trouble and they're quite strict here.
Did you find it beneficial?
Very beneficial in terms of becoming more independent and getting away from my abusive mother. However the carers here are not very useful. But if it weren't for supported housing, I'd be dead by now tbh. I was put in supported housing due to my autism and mental health problems, but more because of my autism.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
How "sick" are the people in supported housing?
It varies massively. When I lived in supported housing there were people there who were heavly psychotic but the were also people there who were quite well.
How often do you see the social worker?
I had to see mine at least every 2 weeks for a 1-1 and attend a house meeting every week to keep my place and show that I was engaging.
Were you allowed pets?
doubt it but you can always ask.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
There is a high chance of this as many people have MH issues due to drink and drugs but just because they have those problems it dose not mean they are gonna be bad to live with.
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
It can be either. I shared a house with people but I have friends in supported housing who have their own flat.
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
No I was in hospital at the time and homeless so was seen as high priority. If your not in hospital or homeless the waiting list can be quite long.
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
Only with cleanliness. I hate dirty kitchens and bathrooms and the people I lived with did tidy up very well so there was often disagreements about tidying up in the weekly house meetings but generally every one was fine.
Did you find it beneficial
Yes very. I'm actually in the process of applying for supported housing again because I found it so beneficial last time.
The average,
well-adjusted adult
gets up at 7.30am feeling just plain terrible.
Call me Kate.
I have dyslexia so please excuse my poor spelling and sometimes poor understanding.
They werent really sick because I was the only one with mental health problems. Mine wasnt mh specific, but for anyone who was considered vulnerable e.g. people who were out of prison, drug addicts etc. Because of the way I was housed, it was difficult to tell how ill people were.
How often do you see the social worker?
I had a social worker already at the time, so I saw her once a week. However in addition I had a key worker, which I saw once a week also, sometimes twice a week if I was struggling with a specific issue.
Were you allowed pets?
I was allowed pets, but you had to have written permission for a cat or a dog. You were allowed caged pets without permission, but if they considered you were neglecting your pet, the RSPCA were called, and they did boot you out.
Chances of having to share a place with a heroin addict or alcoholic?
The type of accommodation I was offered meant that I was housed in a flat within a block of flats. The people I had my tenancy with had no control over the other people in the block since it was the council that housed them, so the chances are that I could have shared with an alcoholic. However the people that lived in the other flats werent.
Do most people share a house or have there own flats?
I had my own flat, but people under 25 had bedsits within a house that the housing association owned.
Did you wait long to get into the housing?
I had to wait a couple of months, but I wanted anywhere within the county, so they could offer me anything that was suitable. However if I wanted a specific number of bedrooms or a specific area then I would have been waiting longer.
did you have problems with people you had to share with if you shared?
I didnt have to share
Did you find it beneficial
Yes. It got me out of a hell hole that I was in, and made me incredibly happy. They do "floating support" meaning that they do exactly the same support as they gave me, but without the accommodation. If I felt that I needed support in the future I would give them a call and ask for floating support.
Wannabe CPN : -)
"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." - Homer Simpson "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" Sanity is a nasty disease. The world would be a happier place without it. - Rilic
RIP Kat 4th July 1987- 11th June 2013
