Canada’s first healing farm
Eli’s Place will be a farm-based residential treatment centre helping adults age 18-35 who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, mood disorders & related mental health challenges
Eli’s Place Case for Support
The Need, the Model, and the Impact Behind Eli’s Place.
Explore how we are working to close a critical gap in mental health care for young adults. Our Case for Support outlines the urgent need, the proven model behind our approach, and the real impact your support can have on recovery, resilience, and long-term outcomes.
Purposeful living is possible
A caring and intentional environment, Eli’s Place will help guests see their ability to live with their Illness, gain real-life skills to do so, and receive transitional support to more independent living
The Core Elements of Eli’s Place
Based on a proven effective model
After conducting an in-depth global review of 33 centres, Eli’s Place chose the proven effective model of Gould Farm, founded in 1913. Employment rates of the Gould Farm program participants went from 14% at departure to 81% 18 months after participation. Only 5% had a re-hospitalization and 100% were in stable housing 36 months after participation.
81%
Employment rate
Long-term rural residential care
Dedicated treatment centres for young adults with serious mental illness do not exist in Ontario. While there are small inpatient centres in hospitals, they typically last 6-8 weeks with years-long wait times. Other treatment centres focus exclusively on addiction.
Hospital crisis care discharges patients back to the community to face wait times for programs that are often difficult to access, are offered online only and may not fit patient needs. With high demand and piecemeal support, finding wrap-around care is difficult.
For some young adults, residential treatment is essential.
Eli’s Place rests on three pillars: meaningful work, community living and therapeutic care. At Eli’s Place, the length of stay is determined by each guest and each guest defines recovery individually.
Community-based
Many guests will come to Eli’s Place isolated from their community and with complicated family relationships caused by their illness. At Eli’s Place, they join a safe therapeutic community where staff and guests live and work side-by-side to support one another and hold one another accountable. Guests begin to see the importance of community, identify new possibilities, see other guests’ successes, and learn new skills for managing relationships while living with serious mental illness. Clinically validated to improve mental health, the therapeutic community approach is particularly effective for individuals with concurrent diagnoses.
Meaningful work
Integral to the recovery model, the positive outcomes of meaningful work include improved medication compliance, reduced symptoms, and fewer relapses.
At Eli’s Place, as members of work teams, guests will contribute to all aspects of the farm’s daily work. Through the process guests learn the benefits of structuring their time and contributing to community life as they learn to manage their symptoms and reach their potential.
Respite care,
if needed
Serious mental illness is complex. Even with exceptional care, some individuals will experience relapses. At Eli’s Place, respite care is built into our standard model of care. Through our commitment to tracking results, continuous improvement, and sharing of our learning, we will continue to improve outcomes.
Our staff of caring experts will deliver holistic care.
Our social workers, psychologists, and consulting psychiatrists will provide each guest with individual and group-based care.
- Work on the farm is real, not simulated.
- The natural environment is therapeutic, not just a backdrop.
- Rhythm and rituals shape the therapeutic community.
- Recovery is defined individually.
- The program adjusts to the capabilities of each guest.
- Length of stay is guest-driven, rather than program-driven.
- Families are part of the community, not external to it.