News

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

2016 Annual Report

Throughout the year, Hopewell celebrated its first 20 years of service to adults with mental illness.

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Fall 2016: “We’re All In This Together”

In January, 2015, at age 20, Zoe L. was admitted to Hopewell with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. After a time of emotional upheaval in her life, Hopewell became her catalyst for healing.

“Hopewell is a life-changing experience,” says Zoe. . .

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Hopewell Therapeutic Farm Announces a Christmas Open House and Holiday Hours for Expanded Farm & Craft Market

Mesopotamia, Ohio— (November 15, 2016) Hopewell Therapeutic Farm community for adults with mental illness announces holiday hours for its completely remodeled and expanded Farm & Craft Market on the Hopewell campus as well as a Christmas Open House, according to Rick Karges, Executive Director/CEO.

“We have created a great store to connect Hopewell to the community by offering produce, crafts and art provided by our farm and residents,” said Karges. “Store hours are Wednesday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We are excited to hold a special Christmas Open House on November 25, 26 and 27 from noon to ___________. The last day for the 2016 season is Saturday, December 31.”

The new version of the Farm & Craft Market is much larger than our original store and is located just south of Hopewell’s administrative building on Route 534. Hopewell animals are located nearby. Holiday decorations will be on display.

The market sells Hopewell’s award-winning maple syrup, bird houses, cutting boards, artwork, ceramics, soaps, handmade jewelry, farm-fresh eggs, flowers, plants and more. A wood shop makes custom signs. Almost all the items found in the store are made by the residents and staff.

According to Sandy Thomas, Farm and Craft Marketing Manager, “The Market is proud to offer an ever-changing inventory of new items created from the inventive minds of our Hopewell family. Stop by during the holidays.”

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 for the Mentally Ill and American Residential Treatment Association. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org

Information and assessments are available by contacting Laura Scarnecchia, clinician/admissions coordinator at 440.426.2009. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org

Hopewell Therapeutic Farm Community Receives Extension To Its Nationally Recognized CARF Accreditation

Hopewell Therapeutic Farm Community has just received a second year extension for its three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), according to Rick Karges, executive director/CEO. Hopewell is the only mental health therapeutic farm community with this nationally recognized accreditation.

“The mission of CARF is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served,” said Karges. “This is the second year of our third three-year accreditation period. Each year, Hopewell is formally evaluated before the extension is granted.”

According to Karges, CARF develops and maintains field-driven best practices that improve the value and responsiveness of the program services delivered to people in need of life enhancement services. CARF conducts accreditation research emphasizing outcomes measurement and management, and provides information on common program strengths as well as areas needing improvement.

“This is CARF’s 50th Anniversary year,” said Candace Carlton, LISW-S, Quality Improvement and Compliance Director at Hopewell. “The accreditation process is comphrehensive and demanding. Hopewell satisfied each of the CARF accreditation conditions and demonstrated substantial conformance to the standards.”

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 the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Residential Treatment Association. Information, tours and assessments are available by contacting Nicole Shuster, clinician/admissions coordinator, at 440.426.2009. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org.