With community support, Harvest House expands mental health program

After a highly successful three-year pilot program, Harvest House is expanding and has officially launched its Wellness Within Reach program on October 1. This initiative provides free mental health therapy services delivered directly in supportive housing or home settings, lowering barriers to mental health care for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and/or severe trauma in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Harvest House’s targeted demographic in Sarasota County includes 78% low- or moderate-income residents facing chronic homelessness, addiction, severe trauma, and untreated mental health conditions. Limited access to affordable and geographically accessible mental health services exacerbates instability, perpetuating cycles of homelessness and trauma.

During the pilot program, Harvest House tracked the impact on 126 participants and the results were resoundingly successful. There was a 100% success rate related to housing stability as well as a significantly reduced incidence of recidivism for program participants who engaged in therapy: women who received therapy had a 0% recidivism rate while men who received therapy had a 14% recidivism rate. These outcomes are much lower than Florida’s average, where more than 60% of people released from prison are rearrested within three years and approximately 25% are reincarcerated.

Additionally, program organizers found the program increased community resilience, reduced the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, and improved overall health outcomes within its target populations.

“I’ve never taken care of my mental health. I’ve been through so much trauma and made [so] many poor choices that it created a lifestyle of chaos and confusion," said a current Harvest House Family Village resident and program participant. "[Harvest House] has provided me with tools/resources and has assisted me in creating a healthier, clearer mindset in order to help navigate through life and create the lifestyle I envision for myself and my son, so I may be the example for him and provide a better roadmap that [ensures] he does not fall victim to the same path and choices as I made.”

Thanks to funding totaling $380,000 from area foundations and government entities – including Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Golisano Foundation and Sarasota County HERO Funds – Harvest House will expand the program to reach additional community members.

With support from the community, this initiative will expand to offer bi-monthly sessions to 116 individuals monthly (47 men and 23 women in addiction recovery, 40 adults and children in the Home Again Program, and six in Emergency Housing), totaling 232 therapy sessions monthly.

Additionally, Harvest House has hired a full-time Clinical Director, to spearhead the program: John Lopez, LMHC, CAP – a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist. Lopez has been working as a contracted mental health counselor and as director of addiction services with Harvest House since 2017, facilitating a weekly therapy group for the Women’s Freedom program as well as providing individual clinical mental health counseling services for approximately 20 clients per week across all Harvest House programs.

“The data from our pilot program clearly shows a tremendous reduction in recidivism rate as well as a sharp increase in housing stability, ensuring better outcomes for the individuals engaged in the program and our community as a whole,” said Harvest House President and CEO Dan Minor. “The results from our pilot program have been extraordinary and we are grateful to the funders who are powering the launch and expansion of the Wellness Within Reach program in the coming years.”

Harvest House will hold an official ribbon-cutting for the program on Wednesday, November 5, at 11:30 a.m.; contact Katie McCurry at kmccurry@harvesthousecenters.com or 941-914-5950 for more information or to RSVP.

Visit harvesthousecenters.com for more information.

About Harvest House
Harvest House is a local supportive housing and hunger relief provider with 300-plus beds and multiple programs throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. Harvest House became a pioneer in the local supportive and affordable housing movement in 1992. It serves members of our community who are working to rebuild their lives, including families and children experiencing homelessness, and adults with a history of addiction and incarceration. Its programs improve the economic status of residents and stabilize lives for generations to come. For more information, visit harvesthousecenters.org.