News

17th Annual Summer Solstice Event to Honor Sandy and Sally Cutler

Hunting Valley, Ohio – The 17th annual Summer Solstice benefit event will take place on Friday, June 16, 2017, from 6:00 to 11:00 pm in Hunting Valley. Proceeds support Hopewell, Ohio’s only therapeutic farm community for adults with mental illness. The event will honor Sandy and Sally Cutler. Long-time supporters of Hopewell, the Cutlers built the David Cutler Conservatory at Hopewell in their son’s memory. Each year, they help underwrite Hopewell’s popular Exploring Mental Health Series. Sally also served as Honorary Chair of “The Campaign for Hopewell – Planting Seeds of Promise,” a three-year comprehensive campaign that ended in 2016. Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth® will be the event’s Presenting Sponsor for the 17th consecutive year.

Known as a “Hunting Valley Block Party,” Summer Solstice will be held at the estate of Honorary Chairs Brian and Gretchen Colleran. Event Chair is Mary Joyce. Corporate Chair is Joseph Verciglio of BakerHostetler. Special Guest Speaker will be Terry Piteo Trela.

This unique benefit features exciting silent and live auctions that showcase unique experiences, getaways, antiques and collectibles. BidPal allows guests to browse auction items and bid from their smart phones. Dinner by Marigold Catering will be served under the stars!

Corporate and individual sponsorship opportunities are available through May 19 to be included in the program. RSVP deadline for individual tickets is May 26; these tickets begin at $225 and include parking, cocktails and dinner. For more information, to purchase tickets or make a donation, call 440-247-0912 or visit www.hopewellcommunity.org/events.

Hopewell is a 300-acre working farm in rural Mesopotamia, Ohio, where adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression learn to manage their mental illness and return to independent life. Hopewell is ODMHAS-licensed and CARF-accredited and is a member of NAMI and ARTA. Proceeds from Summer Solstice provide fee assistance for families with limited financial resources. Each year, fee assistance is provided for 95 percent of Hopewell’s residential clients. To learn more, visit www.hopewellcommunity.org.

Hopewell Featured on HBO Vice News Tonight

Mesopotamia, Ohio (March 14, 2017) Hopewell Residential Therapeutic Farm was featured by HBO as part of Episode 59 on its well-known HBO VICE Tonight series. Hopewell was positioned as a viable option to meeting the shortage of psychiatric beds in the United States, according to Rick Karges, Hopewell Executive director.

“The segment runs for five minutes and covers the Hopewell approach to healing and effective therapies,” said Karges, “The episode captures numerous sights found on the 300 acre farm, interviews with therapists and close ups of our residents.”

The entire HBO VICE Tonight video can be viewed above.

“We appreciate the coverage from HBO. It accurately captures the essence of Hopewell and why it is a best option for persons dealing with serious mental illness,” Karges concluded.

About Hopewell

Hopewell is a 300-acre residential working farm located in Mesopotamia, Ohio, where adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression learn to manage their mental illness and return to independent life. Hopewell is the only therapeutic farm community in Ohio. It is ODMHAS-licensed and CARF-accredited. Hopewell is a member of National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Residential Treatment Association. Information and assessments are available by contacting Laura Scarnecchia, clinician/admissions coordinator at 440.426.2009. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org

Winter 2017: From Desperation to Inspiration

When Christine Montross, MD, spoke at Hopewell’s 2015 Exploring Mental Health Series, she said, “We all live beneath a veil of vulnerability. Mental illness pierces that veil.” It may strike at any age. Few people know that to be true more than 50-year-old Craig R.

Craig had practiced law in Arizona for more than 20 years when he became a full-time judge. . .

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Hopewell’s Lyman House Teaches Independent Living Through Enhanced Transitional Program

Mesopotamia, Ohio (February 14, 2017) Hopewell offers an enhanced transitional program to persons with mental illness when they are ready to advance to independent living.

“Lyman House is Hopewell’s family home open to individuals wanting to practice their skills of independent living before returning to their home and the community where they live,” said Rick Karges, Hopewell’s Executive Director. “While the program has served our residents well, we have adapted and enhanced our transitional program to include others who are not Hopewell graduates, but meet certain criteria.”

At Lyman House, residents manage their own shopping and cooking, housework, etc., and are assisted to find employment, volunteer or attend school. While at Lyman House, they continue to access Hopewell’s clinical services. “Hopewell recognizes the need to provide support for individuals with mental illness as they transition to more independent living situations outside of our therapeutic community,” Karges continued.

In 2012, the Board of Directors approved the purchase of a century home on nearby Mesopotamia Commons. Additional funds were raised to complete extensive renovations, and by late 2013 the Lyman House opened as Hopewell’s adult family home. Licensed for up to five adults, this therapeutic community living option provides an opportunity for individuals to “practice” the skills of independent living before they venture into apartments, jobs, etc. entirely on their own and independent from a mental health facility.

Individuals living at Lyman House are supervised only part of each day. During those times, the Lyman House manager oversees their training and practice in menu planning, food shopping, cooking, money management and self-management of medication. Lyman House residents may participate in Hopewell’s regular programming and are involved in the broader community through part-time employment, volunteering or continuing education.

Generous funding from The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation helps ensure the residents of Lyman House:

• Will be employed, attending school or engaged in significant meaningful activity outside Lyman House at least 20 hours per week within six months of moving into the family home; and
• Will demonstrate 75% increase of independence in three life skill areas.

“Hopewell has the ability to rotate as many as 15 individuals through our transitional program each year,” said Karges. “Waiting times to reside at Lyman House are typically less than 60 days before a room becomes available.”

About Hopewell

Hopewell is a 300-acre residential working farm located in Mesopotamia, Ohio, where adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression learn to manage their mental illness and return to independent life. Hopewell is the only therapeutic farm community in Ohio. It is ODMHAS-licensed and CARF-accredited. Hopewell is a member of National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Residential Treatment Association. Information and assessments are available by contacting Laura Scarnecchia, clinician/admissions coordinator at 440.426.2009. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org

Joint Statement by Frederick J. Frese, Ph.D. and Richard R. Karges, LISW-S, ACSW Regarding Passage of HR 2646: The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act

The following is a joint statement from Frederick J. Frese, Ph.D and Richard R. Karges, LISW-S, ACSW, CEO of Hopewell

Mesopotamia, Ohio (January 4, 2017). We celebrate the president’s signing into law The 21st Century Cures Act, which incorporates H. R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, initiated by Representative Tim Murphy (R.-PA-18). This act has been called the most transformative mental health law since John F. Kennedy was president and is long overdue.

Recent tragedies have opened our eyes to the fact we are in the midst of a mental health crisis in the United States. Our largest populations of persons with mental illness are no longer mental hospitals, but are now in prisons, because we have criminalized mental illness. We lack many hundreds of thousands of psychiatric beds. There are more than 350,000 deaths in the U.S. each year related to mental illness, over 43 thousand of these being suicides. Over 11 million individuals in this country live with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression with psychosis.

Many more seriously mentally ill persons will now be able to receive care before their illnesses spiral into crisis. Data collected to help the mental health community will provide new hope. Assisted outpatient treatment efforts will now help many more individuals who otherwise may have never realized they needed help.

This new law establishes for the first time an assistant secretary for mental health and substance use disorders for the Department of Health and Human Services. This is a giant step forward. We will be able to invest in services for the most difficult-to-treat cases and ensure that families are part of the care-delivery team.

Further, our law enforcement officers and other first responders will be better prepared to respond to abnormal or potentially intense situations or behaviors.

While we know that a single law is not a panacea, we are encouraged that the future will be much better for those many families who have suffered in silence because the stigma of mental illness was so profound. This new law will help millions who need assistance which has not been readily available previously.

Thank you, Representative Tim Murphy and President Obama.

About the Authors

Frederick J. Frese, Ph.D. is a psychologist who has specialized in the area of schizophrenia for over 40 years. Dr. Mike Hogan, Chair of the President’s New Freedom Commission that is revolutionizing the delivery of mental health services in the United States has called Fred “a national treasure.” Dr. Frese is a founding board member of the National Treatment Advocacy Center which provided significant input to Representative Murphy during the four years he spent crafting and steering this important legislation through Congress.

Richard R. Karges, LISW-S, ACSW is Executive Director/CEO of Hopewell, a residential therapeutic farm community serving adults with serious mental illness. Hopewell is located in Mesopotamia, Ohio.

About Hopewell

Hopewell is a 300-acre residential working farm located in Mesopotamia, Ohio, where adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression learn to manage their mental illness and return to independent life. Hopewell is the only therapeutic farm community in Ohio. It is ODMHAS-licensed and CARF-accredited. Hopewell is a member of National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Residential Treatment Association. Information and assessments are available by contacting Laura Scarnecchia, clinician/admissions coordinator at 440.426.2009. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org