Thanks for sharing this, Cori. Admittedly, I kind of love the imperfections of Jersey Shore. Especially in the spring, it is a welcomed change to the frigid cold. But boarding houses is something I haven't studied much. And your note on hoarders, etc--all really made me curious about whether similar correlations exist in other parts of the country, maybe in different ways?
This sort of program absolutely exists around the country, as well as in other countries. It just seems so obviously inadequate as community mental health care that it never occurred to me that this was legally the same program as foster care. I assumed people were living in motels, boarding homes, SROs, flat shares, etc because they're the most affordable housing option. Boarding out is managed by a patchwork of state and local agencies, so the level of support and requirements to access housing placement vary.
This is so interesting. Boarding houses are used widely here in Canada and in the UK too as a solution to lack of other supportive housing for disabled people, those released from jail, people with children needing emergency housing... the list goes on. Isn't it funny that we never connected this government organized solution to the tales of Geel? Like you, I always thought Geel was a naturally evolved cultural program, rooted in compassion. Hmmm....
It really suggests just how powerful framing is! I spent so much time thinking about foster care and didn't connect it to my experience growing up or when I lived in a building with three-quarter housing tenants. It seemed so much like they had been dumped there and abandoned, it hadn't occurred to me that it would legally be the same as foster care. As much as it's disheartening to have the bubble burst about Geel for me, it's encouraging to see how the same basic legal framework can provide for such very different programs
Yes! Also, there used to be a terrific program for children with disabilities in Ontario called Special Needs Agreements in which two families in the same town would share care of one child with high needs. It was run by Children's Protection Services but it got discontinue. Why do good ideas based on human kindness have to die on committee tables???? It appears that in BC, some similar agreements still exist but all of this is framed as child protection which is very problematic and a whole other issue that worries me daily. https://family.legalaid.bc.ca/children/child-protection/making-agreements-your-childs-care
Thanks for sharing this, Cori. Admittedly, I kind of love the imperfections of Jersey Shore. Especially in the spring, it is a welcomed change to the frigid cold. But boarding houses is something I haven't studied much. And your note on hoarders, etc--all really made me curious about whether similar correlations exist in other parts of the country, maybe in different ways?
This sort of program absolutely exists around the country, as well as in other countries. It just seems so obviously inadequate as community mental health care that it never occurred to me that this was legally the same program as foster care. I assumed people were living in motels, boarding homes, SROs, flat shares, etc because they're the most affordable housing option. Boarding out is managed by a patchwork of state and local agencies, so the level of support and requirements to access housing placement vary.
This is so interesting. Boarding houses are used widely here in Canada and in the UK too as a solution to lack of other supportive housing for disabled people, those released from jail, people with children needing emergency housing... the list goes on. Isn't it funny that we never connected this government organized solution to the tales of Geel? Like you, I always thought Geel was a naturally evolved cultural program, rooted in compassion. Hmmm....
It really suggests just how powerful framing is! I spent so much time thinking about foster care and didn't connect it to my experience growing up or when I lived in a building with three-quarter housing tenants. It seemed so much like they had been dumped there and abandoned, it hadn't occurred to me that it would legally be the same as foster care. As much as it's disheartening to have the bubble burst about Geel for me, it's encouraging to see how the same basic legal framework can provide for such very different programs
Yes! Also, there used to be a terrific program for children with disabilities in Ontario called Special Needs Agreements in which two families in the same town would share care of one child with high needs. It was run by Children's Protection Services but it got discontinue. Why do good ideas based on human kindness have to die on committee tables???? It appears that in BC, some similar agreements still exist but all of this is framed as child protection which is very problematic and a whole other issue that worries me daily. https://family.legalaid.bc.ca/children/child-protection/making-agreements-your-childs-care