For the one-in-four adults living with a mental illness, access to safe, affordable housing is even harder to come by than it is for the healthy and for people with other kinds of health problems. Misguided beliefs about mental illness have been known to cause discrimination against would-be renters. This kind of prejudice has even, on occasion, put a damper on Arbor Development's efforts to create housing options and build independence for individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. Arbor Development does not let unfounded fear-based opposition hold us back from fostering the progress of people working hard to recover from their mental illness and make their way successfully through life.

Building Independence - Behavioral Health Services
Through its Behavioral Health Services business line, Arbor Development provides person-centered recovery based education and support to individuals diagnosed with a mental illness to assist them to build independent living skills so they can live safely on their own, or in the least restrictive environment possible. Support services help clients to varying degrees. For example, some clients may need twenty-four hour supervision and regular support to comply with their recovery program. Others may need help with medications once per day and still others require only a monthly check-in.

Along this continuum, Arbor Development provides housing and support services to mental health clients through the following programming: Community Residences (CR), Residents in Transitional Environments (RITE), Supported Housing (SH) and Crime Victim Advocacy. 

Arbor Development operates nearly 250 service beds at residential sites across Allegany, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York. In 2007, we served more than 532 mental health clients.  Despite these significant numbers-- and our clients' success in moving on to independent living situations -- our waiting list for supported living services has increased by 15% in the last year due to flat funding for these services.