Recovery and hope are the inspiration for the Young Adult Program at Fountain House.
Mental illness often strikes for the first time during the transitional years from adolescence to adulthood. This is a particularly difficult time for those with mental illness. Young adults can bounce from one clinical setting to another and experience periods of isolation from their community. They risk dropping out of school and being consigned to relatively unskilled, low-paying jobs. The Young Adult Program creates community where there is isolation and fosters personal and career growth.
The program at Fountain House:
- Engages young people ages 16-30 experiencing the initial impact of mental illness
- Provides support for school and finding meaningful jobs
- Offers social and recreational opportunities
In effect young adults at Fountain House are able to embrace their illness and move on with their lives.
Fountain House’s Young Adult Program recently joined forces with the Icarus Project to foster a presence on college campuses to recognize their full potential and to discover the positive aspects of their illness.
Fountain House currently participates in a coalition of young adult programs located in clubhouses all over the world. The coalition’s goal is to make clubhouse communities a welcome place for younger members while providing information exchange and joint activities.
Fountain House can make a crucial difference in the lives of young people, the difference between hope and healing and the downward spiral into illness, poverty, loneliness, and despair.
Contact the Young Adult Program at (212) 582-0340, extension 383.
