What is the Lodge?

Supportive Housing for Mental Health Consumers of Northampton County in Bethlehem.

The Lodge provides housing in Bethlehem, a supportive community and vocational opportunities for adults with mental health challenges. According to individual preferences, the members live independently in scattered rental properties in the neighborhood.

The Lodge offers flexible jobs at the Café the Lodge and daily educational and recreational programs. The program is largely consumer-run. The Lodge supports its members to establish a wholesome lifestyle and affirms their self-determination and inherent ability to create productive and meaningful lives.

History

Allentown State Hospital closed in December 2010 and consequently the need for Mental Health services in the community increased exponentially. At no other time in the history of the Lehigh Valley have we seen such a rapid expansion.

Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon, Monroe and Pike Counties put out "Requests for Proposal" for a myriad of Mental Health Services. Resources for Human Development, Inc. was awarded the Supported Housing Program for twelve individuals in Northampton County. We gave it the name of The Mental Health Recovery Lodge of Northampton County, in short "The Lodge."

We were awarded the program largely due to our out-of-the-box approach. The emphasis of the Lodge is not on managing symptoms, but on increasing the quality of life as defined by the individual. Main ingredients: a nice, clean and safe place to live, an exciting job to go to, a supportive community around you, and the power to shape the program with the other members.

Additionally, The Lodge is not a bubble exclusively for people with mental illness; it's a program where people with and without mental illness work, learn and socialize--side by side. The Lodge is a place where people are supported to thrive, either with or without a mental illness.

Guiding Principles of The Lodge

Celebrate Greatness in Self and Others
Actively Implement the Mental Health Recovery Model
Support the Pursuit of Happiness and a Meaningful Life for All Members and Staff - Aim to Thrive!
Maintain a Daily Practice of Mindfulness and Self-Awareness
Take Full Ownership for How We Feel, Think and Act
Provide a Holistic Program (Body, Mind & Spirit)
Encourage Hope
Celebrate Diversity
Honor Respectful and Open Communication
Value Creativity, Flexibility and an Entrepreneurial Spirit
Apply Green Practices
Be the Change We Wish to See in the World

The Lodge

Under the name of The Mental Health Recovery Lodge of Northampton County (The Lodge), RHD (Resources for Human Development, Inc.) contracted with Northampton County to provide a supportive housing program for adults with mental illness. According to individual preferences, the Lodge secured rental properties in walking distance to its main building.

However, the Lodge provides more than supported housing; The Lodge offers a large array of recreational and educational programs, such as Live Music, Drum Circles, Writers and Poets’ Night, Mindfulness Meditation, Support Groups, Skill Building classes, and more. Most of these activities are open to the public. The programs are largely member-run. At the Lodge, the line of separation between those with and without mental illness dissolves.

Additionally, the Lodge provides exciting and gainful employment opportunities at Café the Lodge. The Lodge supports its members in establishing independent living arrangements, a productive and meaningful existence, and a wholesome lifestyle. The staff affirms self-determination of the participants and their inherent ability to thrive.

Café the Lodge, located on 427 E. Fourth Street in Bethlehem, opened on leap day 2012. Yet, operating from a temporary location, the program has been supporting people living in the community since the fall of 2010.

https://www.cafethelodge.org/

Resources for Human Development

The Lodge is one of the many divisions of RHD, a national human services nonprofit, founded in 1970.

Resources for Human Development serves tens of thousands of people of all abilities every year with caring, effective and innovative programs addressing intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health, homelessness, addiction recovery and more.

At RHD, we're committed to the fundamental value of dignity and respect for all human beings, to the empowerment of those we serve and our more than 4,600 employees, to a collaborative management model, and to the importance of timely change and risk-taking. RHD is led by its values, focusing on developing a highly decentralized organization with the broadest possible service mission.

In partnership with local governments and those we serve, RHD builds better lives, families and communities. RHD currently oversees and supports more than 160 programs in 14 states. www.RHD.org