Margaret's provides transitional and permanent supportive housing, crisis coordination and outreach for women from diverse backgrounds who suffer from persistent and severe psychiatric issues. Consumers have a wide variety of diagnoses and require intensive support to live and/or remain in the community, in their own home or in a congregate living situation. Primary diagnoses include schizophrenia, severe depression and bipolar disorder.

Margaret's support extends into the area of obtaining and maintaining permanent and affordable housing that will provide women with a stable living environment and continued community tenure. Supports are holistic, client directed and recovery based, recognizing best practices and the inner strength and resiliency of the diverse women for whom Margaret's provides services.

Margaret's staff is as diverse as the Greater Toronto Area. Therefore, services are provided in over 7 languages and in a culturally sensitive manner by staf trained in mental health.

Why our services are needed

The lack of supportive housing for vulnerable women in Toronto is a chronic problem. A significant increase in supportive housing units is needed immediately just to stem the "destructive treadmill" of psychiatric hospitals, squalid rooming houses and life on the streets. This vicious cycle seriously undermines a woman's ability to recover and regain her independence.

Many of our residents have been homeless, are survivors of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and many have lost all traditional family support.

Eligibility: Woman who are 18-65 years, diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness and working toward recovery. Individuals can be referred from psychiatric and general hospitals, shelters, community agencies, family and self.

We:

• deliver 24 hour staffed transitional and permanent independent units (138 Pears and 25 Leonard Ave.)
• promote development of skills of daily living required for the obtaining and successfully maintaining housing in the community (budgeting, cooking, cleaning) in an individual and group environment.
• provide support services (counselling, advocacy, accompaniement, information and referral)
• provide medication management and monitoring.
• encourage meaningful activity (social / recreational, work and education) through goal planning and the provision of group, community based social and recreational activities.
• provide wellness and educational opportunities.
• provide access to psychiatric assessments and follow up.
• assist in the development of natural support networks.
• encourage alternative therapuetic modalities in conjunction iwth medical advice and treatment (art therapy, expressive art therapy, naturapathic medicine).

Margaret's crisis and outreach services include short term crisis support, and crisis and respite beds with 7 day average stay.

Short Term Crisis Support

Eligibility: Women, 18-65+ with severe psychiatric illness, who identify themselves as experiencing a "crisis" and are able to direct their care.

We provide:

• 24 hour staffed crisis line.
• short term crisis support (advocacy, information and referral, accompaniment, councselling).
• a food, clothing and shoe bank.
• access to psychiatric assessment and monitoring.
• problem solving.
• resources (computer, internet, video and book library)
• art therapy and expressive art.

Eligibility: Women, 18-65+, with serious mental illness experiencing a psychiatric crisis and

who, following a pre-admission screening, are determined not to be in need of inpatient care, but require stabilization in a 24 hour supervised setting

or

whose inpatient psychiatric hospitalization may be reduced significantly by a time-limited placement in a transitional setting suppliemented by support and medication monitoring

or

whose present behaviour may endanger self or others or are unable to take care of basic needs but who do not require the restrictiveness of inpatient hospitalization

or

who are at risk of homelessness

or

who are vulnerable to abuse.

We provide:

• psychiatric examination and consultation to assess referrals, access immediate medication management and assist in the determination of whether to use non-hospital based services or hospital based services.
• treatment planning, specific to short term crisis management and continuing care post-crisis residential stay.
• medication management.
• ongoing assessment through 24 hour supervision and monitoring.
• linkage and access to appropriate mental health services and supports.
• brief and immediate intensive counseling and support.
• an average stay of 7 days.
• stabilization in an all female environment that is safe and encourages recovery.

Eligibility: Family members of women, 18-65 with serious mental illness who require relief from their care giving activities.

We provide:

• medication management.
• 24 hour supervision and monitoring by trained staff.
• care in an all female environment that is safe and welcoming.
• cooking and laundry facilities.
• engagement in daily programming and social recreation activities.
• support as needed.
• an average stay of 7 days.

"Living at Margaret's prepared me to live outside in the community -- I was no longer a hospital person. They encouraged me to take my own initiative in finding resources, community programs and leisure events that interested me. I knew what I wanted to do but just didn't know how to find it.

When I came to Margaret's I was suicidal and had a lot of self-harm behaviours. Most group homes wouldn't take me because of my behaviours but Margaret's took the risk and took me in. Another key thing was that Margaret's was a woman-only space --something that was really important to me at that time -- I felt safe there.

I have used the ex-resident crisis bed there and think the after care support they provide is important. I needed some help but didn't need to be cooped up in a hospital. I just needed a time out, a few good meals, someone to listen to me and to be with people who cared.

Margaret's gives me the option of staying connected. I have been encouraged to sit on the board. What they have provided at Pears Avenue [permanent housing unit] is a dream come true. I am living here in my own place and can get support when I need it. At Margaret's you develop a community and can establish lasting friendships."

- Susan (ex-resident)