Hopewell Helps Adults with Mental Illness; Provides Fee Assistance through Fundraising
July 21, 2015
Mesopotamia, OH – Liza Trela, age 27, is benefiting from both outstanding therapies and access to funding available from the Hopewell therapeutic farm community, according to her mother.
“Our daughter, Liza, could no longer be treated at a short-term crisis management facility because her medication could not be administered there,” said Theresa Piteo Trela, a well-known actress among Cleveland theater-goers.
“Her psychiatrist believed he had exhausted all options. We were convinced Liza would be lost to us forever if the state (Texas) had its way. We intended to fight for her, and we did. The court allowed Liza to be placed with us for a period of six months. If she needed to be hospitalized again during that period, she would be taken directly to the state hospital by the police. We felt we were losing Liza not only to paranoid schizophrenia, but also to a mental health system that would incarcerate her.”
At this point, Theresa Trela was also saddened by the death of Providence Hollander, a friend and fellow cast member of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. The show, directed by Joseph J. Garry, Jr., had been a major part of the comeback of Cleveland’s Playhouse Square in 1973. It was through Mr. Garry and other friends from the production of Jacques Brel that the Trelas learned about Hopewell.
Located in rural Mesopotamia, Ohio, Hopewell’s unique, holistic model of mental health care is based on the healing power of nature, community and meaningful work. Its mission is to provide an opportunity for adults with mental illness to experience a self-reliant and satisfying life through participation in a vibrant therapeutic community. Outcomes studies have shown the Hopewell Model creates lasting results and positive lifestyle changes, allowing individuals to develop the skills necessary to manage more independent living.
“Hopewell eased the clutter in Liza’s mind and affirmed her worth through the dignity of expectations and consequences,” said Theresa Trela. “Through its focus on community, Hopewell provided structure, compassion and opportunity. Its unique setting reset Liza’s circadian rhythms. The sun, sky and light are so important for those whose minds are darkened by their illness and dampened by their medicine.”
“Liza is still our beautiful, gifted daughter. But she deals with paranoid schizophrenia,” said Trela. “We talk to Liza twice each day. She struggles, but because of Hopewell, she can deploy her hard-won and evolving coping skills to push back against that darkness. In Jacques Brel, I sang about a hope that believed ‘If we only have love….’ At Hopewell, love and hope abide.”
While Hopewell’s daily rate is about one-third that of an inpatient psychiatric hospital – and is based on actual costs, with no mark-up for profit – the cost of care is often out of reach for many families. Residential mental health care is rarely covered by insurance. Fee assistance is Hopewell’s #1 fundraising priority. On an annual basis, about 95 percent of Hopewell’s residents’ families receive some amount of fee assistance.
“Donations to Hopewell really do save lives. This is our daughter’s second time at Hopewell. Our family and our daughter are blessed,” concluded Theresa Trela.
To make a tax-deductible donation to Hopewell, contact the Development Office at 440-247-0912 or visit www.hopewellcommunity.org.
About Hopewell
Hopewell is a 300-acre residential working farm located in Mesopotamia, Ohio, where adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression learn to manage their mental illness and return to independent life. Hopewell is the only therapeutic farm community in Ohio, and one of only a handful in the United States. It is ODMHAS-licensed and CARF-accredited. Hopewell is a member of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the American Residential Treatment Association (ARTA). Information and assessments are available by contacting the Hopewell admissions team at 440.426.2009. Visit www.hopewellcommunity.org.
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