Learning to live on one’s own, or finding stable, affordable housing can be difficult for people who live with serious mental health issues. Porter-Starke Services helps adults (age 18+) facing these challenges by offering programs that provide support during their transition to independent living and access to housing.
Supervised Living
LIFE House
(Learning Independence for Everyday) is a residential program for up to ten adults (age 18+) diagnosed with serious mental illness that supports their transition to independent living. Located in a residential neighborhood of Valparaiso, LIFE House is staffed 24/7 year-round by a House Manager and support staff. Residents learn necessary life skills through staff-directed programming and the daily routines of living together as a group. Transportation is provided as needed. Combined with rotating house responsibilities, residents focus on daily living skills including:
Budgeting and money management
Planning and preparing nutritious meals
Grocery shopping
Improving personal hygiene and fitness
Pursuing career goals
Securing and maintaining employment
Pursing formal education
Planning social outings and community events
Residents can also receive support from case managers, clinical staff, and a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, physicians, therapists and nurses who provide services including therapy, educational groups, and medication management. Clients who have met their treatment goals and are prepared to live more independently may be referred to semi-independent or independent living.
LIFE House is within walking distance of Porter-Starke Services, grocery stores, restaurants, medical offices, the Valparaiso Family YMCA, and the V-Line bus system.
Davies Home
Davies Home is a residential program for adults diagnosed with serious mental illness that provides structure and support with expanded responsibilities. This program helps up to four adult residents (age 18+) transition from group home living, such as LIFE House, to more independent living:
A case manager works onsite for five evenings per week for a block of four hours, assisting and guiding residents with daily living skills included in their individual treatment plan.
Each resident pays rent and is responsible for routine cleaning and upkeep of the home and their individual rooms.
A financial specialist meets weekly with each resident to develop a monthly budget and discuss finances.
Residents can live in Davies Home for a maximum of two years, with the expectation of moving on to a more independent living environment.
Davies Home is within walking distance of Porter-Starke Services, grocery stores, restaurants, medical offices, the Valparaiso Family YMCA, and the V-Line bus system.
Davies Home is named in honor of Aled P. Davies, a former Board President of both Porter-Starke Services and the Carillon Foundation, now the Porter-Starke Services Foundation. His concern for and commitment to mental health and effective treatment was rooted in his own family history, which inspired a lifetime of devotion, advocacy and support.
Women’s Recovery Home
Women’s Recovery Home is a sober living residence for women in early recovery from substance misuse. Recovery from addiction requires mental, behavioral, attitude and lifestyle modifications. Women’s Recovery Home offers a stable setting to focus on these changes while resuming education, seeking employment, and gaining independence. Daily programs, a structured schedule, and community life with fellow residents help women develop a support system and lifestyle changes that foster accountability and lead to recovery.
Residents must be age 18 or older, commit to living in Women’s Recovery Home for 6-9 months, and pay weekly rent that covers in-house services, meals, toiletries and linens.
Women’s Recovery Home is available to women with children.
Residents may access additional services with Porter-Starke Services, including case management, intensive outpatient treatment, relapse prevention, therapy (individual, group, or family), psychiatric medication management, and medication-assisted treatment.
Women’s Recovery Home is provided by Porter-Starke Services in collaboration with The Caring Place (link), a domestic violence shelter, to offer 24-hour supervision.
Supported Housing
Aurora View Apartments
Aurora View Apartments provide supportive housing for up to 15 people living with serious mental illness. Residents receive ongoing care and support including case management, group therapy, skills training, and psychiatric services with medication monitoring.
Each one-bedroom apartment includes a living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. All residents have access to a shared laundry room and community room meeting space.
While residents furnish their own apartments, some assistance may be available through various community resources.
The apartment complex is within walking distance of Porter-Starke Services, grocery stores, restaurants, medical offices, the Valparaiso Family YMCA, and the V-Line bus system.
Aurora View Apartments is operated in collaboration with CoAction (Link to their site), which also offers additional supportive housing in the community.
The PATH Program
The PATH Program (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) helps people who are living with a serious mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorder while experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. The PATH Program offers housing case management support, connecting people with resources and services that can improve health and access to housing in Porter and Starke counties.
Eligible applicants must be age 18 or older, have a documented diagnosis of a serious mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorder, and be currently experiencing homelessness, or be at imminent risk of becoming homeless.
Shelter + Care and Starke County Rural Housing
Shelter + Care and Starke County Rural Housing are two permanent supportive housing programs available through Porter-Starke Service. Funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban development, these programs connect people with a serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder and who are experiencing homelessness with private rental units available throughout Northwest Indiana. The programs cover rent expenses and a comprehensive array of other services, including mental healthcare, substance use treatment, case management, and access to primary care physicians. Residents may also receive assistance with other essential needs like food, transportation, and household essentials.
These supervised living and supported housing services are provided based on an assessment and/or through a referral. If you are interested in any of these services, please contact the Admissions Department at 219.531.3500 or speak with your provider if you are currently a client of Porter-Starke Services.
