What is an Intentional Community?
An intentional community promotes a sense of belonging through self-governance, shared values, activities and communal meals. It offers members opportunities within a safe place to grow and thrive.
Program Description
There are two Touchstone Intentional Communities for a total of 40 members. The communities gather two to three times a week for socializing, planned activities and communal meals. Both communities have developed an integrity contract which frames their shared values and becomes the basis for their shared decisions. The communities have monthly business meetings and use a consensus model to guide their decision making process.
The communities are “self-governing” which means they develop and decide on policies for the community as a whole, work together to maintain viable participation, and manage their budget.
What We Offer
Touchstone Intentional Communities provides permanent housing to adults with serious and persistent mental illness by locating and subsidizing apartments, providing individualized supportive services to maintain housing, and by helping to develop intentional communities that promote a sense of belonging through self-governance, groups and activities, and communal meals all in a safe setting.
Touchstone staffs function as Community Advocates and Organizers who provide support and rehabilitative mental health services that help with developing and enhancing strengths, psychiatric stability, social competencies, personal and emotional adjustment, independent living and community skills. We also provide support for members to build a healthy community, including information about community resources, advocacy groups, health & wellness opportunities, complimentary health services and community events.
Program success is measured on:
- Decreased use of hospitals for crisis or for symptom management
- Stable community tenure
- Management of mental illness symptoms
- Participation in the larger community (work, education, volunteerism)
Program Team members
Each client works with a multi-disciplinary team comprised of team members that possess diverse skills, with education and experience in a variety of fields, including psychiatry, social work, psychology, chemical health, complementary health practices, therapeutic recreation, nutrition, and health & wellness.
Admissions
Case Managers from Hennepin County Behavioral Health or contracted agencies can refer potential clients and must authorize all placements to the intentional community. To be referred, community members must be 18 years of age, a Hennepin county resident, and have a diagnosis of serious and persistent mental illness. Priorities go to individuals coming from IRTS and state hospitals and need housing. Individuals need to want to participate in an intentional community and abide by the integrity contract set by the community.
For more information about our intentional communities, contact the Program Supervisor for Intentional Communities, at 612-767-3881 or intentionalcommunityinfo@touchstonemh.org.
You can find more information about intentional communities at www.ic.org.