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PO Box 1927 • Louisville, KY 40201-1927
(502) 637-4361 • Fax (502) 637-4490
Mission
To promote the recovery of persons with severe and persistent mental illness through leadership in the development of quality housing and rehabilitative services.
History and Growth
Since it began in 1982, Wellspring has developed seven staffed residential programs and 12 community-based independent housing sites. Most of the housing is in Jefferson County; however, services have expanded to surrounding counties.
Service Fees
Costs for Wellspring’s programs and housing rentals vary according to site. However, all charges are based on a sliding fee scale.
Philosophy
An underlying premise of Wellspring’s work is the belief that when persons with mental illness have the stability and dignity of housing, then the work of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery can begin. Recovery for persons with psychiatric illness does not mean cure; it means developing a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life despite the presence of mental illness. Recovery is a unique process for each person and local communities must respond with an array of options to meet an individual’s needs and preferences.
The Wellspring Staff
At Wellspring, highly trained professionals are dedicated to helping clients achieve personal growth and fulfillment.
Wellspring is guided by a staff of over 100 professionals and paraprofessionals (peer support counselors) who serve 700 clients in Jefferson and Shelby counties annually.
Members of our Management Team include:
Executive Director
Katharine R. Dobbins, MSSW, LCSW
dobbinsk@wellspring-house.org
(502) 637-4361, ext. 14
Chief Operating Officer
Bob Brodbeck
brodbeckr@wellspring-house.org
(502) 637-4361, ext. 13
Housing Services Director
(502) 635-1570
Program Information Director
Tony Cecil
cecilt@wellspring-house.org
(502) 637-4361, ext. 15
Development Director
Nancy Doctor
doctorn@wellspring-house.org
(502) 637-4361, ext. 12
Wellspring employees can be reached at (502) 637-4361.
THE WELLSPRING BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Margaret Pennington, Chair
Jefferey Yussman, Vice Chair
George W. Rapp, Jr., Treasurer
Cissy Mills, Secretary
Robert P. Bordogna
Meredith Brown
Christina L. Butler, M.D.
Sanford L. Fleck
William Friel
Gregory E. Mayes
David W. Miles
Alan K. MacDonald
Nancy Neill
Jackie Swigart, Ph.D
Elmore A. "Ack" Willets, III
Honorary Lifetime Members
Philip P. Ardery, Founding Chair
Nancy B. Bell
Roberta Fischer
Frank M. Gaines, Jr., M.D.
The Rev. Richard H. Humke
Clifford C. Kuhn, M.D.
Malcolm R. Mathews, Jr.
Cornelia A. Serpell
Bosworth M. Todd, Jr.
John I. Trawick
Housing & Program Development
Wellspring is a multi-faceted agency providing program and housing services and performing all phases of housing development as well. This includes planning, site location, arranging financing and construction contracting. Wellspring takes great pride in developing safe, attractive and affordable housing which improves both the areas where it is located and the lives of the persons with mental illness who live there. In the area of program development, we continuously work to train staff in the recognized best practice methods identified by researchers in the field. We have been especially focused on training staff and implementing the best practices for serving persons with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders, as such a large percentage of persons we serve are actually diagnosed with both illnesses.
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FACILITIES TOUR
CRISIS STABILIZATION UNITS (CSUs)
The Frank M. Gaines Center CSU was the first residential community-based crisis unit developed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was joined in July by the David J. Block Center CSU. They are this region’s only such programs. These CSUs serve persons who are experiencing acute symptoms of mental illness such as severe depression, mania or symptoms of psychosis. They are the only Wellspring programs that do not require a severe and persistent mental illness diagnosis to be eligible for services (80% have an SMI diagnosis). The primary criterion is that the individual is experiencing a psychiatric crisis. While at the CSUs individuals receive intensive treatment, close monitoring with high levels of staff support and medications prescribed by a psychiatrist. Each CSU houses eight men and women at a time in a homelike setting in downtown Louisville. Admissions are accepted seven days a week. The average length of stay is nine days.
Each CSU has an on-site staff that includes:
- Psychiatrist on-site and on-call
- Three Master’s level clinical social workers
- Art therapist
- 24-hour staff double coverage
- Peer support staff
- 24-hour on-call clinical staff
The goal of the Crisis Stabilization Units is to assist clients who are in an acute phase of their mental illness in achieving psychiatric stabilization and avoiding hospitalization. The Gaines Center CSU began operations in October, 1995, and the David J. Block Center began operations in July, 2007.
Of the 266 residents served in FY2005:
- 94% were treated without need for hospitalization
- 60% reported a decrease in suicidal thoughts in 48 hours
- 80% achieved treatment goals they established at admission
- 83% experienced a 20% or greater decrease in psychiatric symptoms from admission to discharge (94% had some positive change)
- 95% of people reporting depression on admission reported an elevation in mood by discharge
- 41% had co-occurring substance abuse disorders
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TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Ardery House
Ardery House opened in 1982 as the agency’s first site. It was named to honor founding board chair Philip P. Ardery. The goal of the program is to assist persons who are leaving the hospital and/or experiencing homelessness to achieve independent living. All persons served are diagnosed with mental illness and almost half have co-occurring substance abuse disorder.
Ardery House provides 13 men and women with room, board, life skills training, recreational activities, case management and individual and group therapy. Residents have an eight-month average stay.
31 residents were served FY 2005; of 22 exits:
- 64% achieved housing goals
- Of the 91% who were hospitalized one year prior to entry, 95% were not re-hospitalized
- Independent Living Skills improved an average 62%
- Quality of Life improved an average 20%, with 100% of graduates reporting improvement
- 100% of dually-diagnosed residents were able to demonstrate increasing periods of sobriety; 88% of dually-diagnosed exits remained abstinent throughout their tenure in the program
- 91% were homeless when admitted
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Journey House
Fifty percent of persons with severe mental illness also are dually diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. As a result, they have increased symptoms of mental illness, more frequent relapses, less treatment follow-through, more homelessness and victimization, more involvement with the courts and jails, and revolving door hospitalizations.
In December 1998, Wellspring opened Journey House as an attempt to better address the needs of Louisville’s dually diagnosed, homeless women who were falling through the cracks of a service system not set up to treat their illnesses simultaneously. The goal of Journey House is to provide support for homeless women with co-occurring diagnoses of severe mental illness and substance abuse disorder who have frequently been victims of violence and have typically experienced multiple failures in treatment and independent living prior to coming to Journey House.
Journey House is the first residential program in Kentucky specifically designed to serve this population. Staff is trained in both mental illness and substance abuse treatment, and the program is structured to provide extensive support to eight residents as they struggle with the issues of recovery from both illnesses. The average stay is nine months for graduates.
Of the 14 women exiting in FY2005:
- 100% were homeless when admitted
- 100% of graduates (5) clients at Journey House were substance free for 60 days or more at program completion
- 100% of graduates went to housing of their choice
- 43% of all exits experienced a 20% or more decrease in psychiatric symptoms. For those who completed the program, 100% had some decrease in symptoms, and 80% decreased by 20% or more.
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SUPPORTED HOUSING
Wellspring operates three supported housing programs, which enable persons who have extensive histories of psychiatric hospitalization to live successfully in the community. There is no limit on the length of time a resident may live in these houses. Broadway House, opened in 1986, is located in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood. It is home to eight men who live in a congregate environment. Concord Apartments in the Hikes Point area opened in 1987. It provides housing for eight women in four two-bedroom apartments. Crescent House recently celebrated its two-year anniversary. This is staff supported housing in a large, single-family house for three men having extensive hospitalization histories.
Staff complement includes:
- Master’s level clinical social workers
- Consulting psychiatrist
- Residential staff coverage (variable according to client need)
- 24-hour on call clinical staff
Of the 19 residents served in FY2005:
- On average, there was a 100% reduction in days of psychiatric hospitalization compared to the year before entering these programs
- 100% of the clients at Broadway and Concord are involved in community based activities; 38% of the men at Broadway are employed on a part-time basis
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INDEPENDENT HOUSING
Wellspring provides 60 units of deeply subsidized rental housing for persons with severe and persistent mental illnesses. These tenants have very limited incomes and many would be homeless or live in substandard housing without this resource. This housing is coupled with appropriate support services from Wellspring and Seven Counties Services to provide tenants a permanent home base for their journey of recovery. Wellspring housing units are varied in type to allow consumers to make wise choices. Although primarily geographically spread throughout Jefferson County, there is also a four-unit residence in Shelbyville. Leasing for tenants is on an open-ended basis
- 79 adults plus their children were served in FY2005
- 91% occupancy rate was maintained
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PO Box 1927 • Louisville, KY 40201-1927
(502) 637-4361 • Fax (502) 637-4490
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