Gould Farm was founded over a hundred years ago; it’s the first farm-based psycho-social community/psychiatric treatment program in the nation. On a 700 acre farm in the southern Berkshires… miles of hiking trails, gorgeous forests and fields and streams. A handful of programs have been modeled after theirs (you can find them listed on arta.usa.org).
I hear you about cost . And while $350/day is a substantial expense for most families, most private residential programs for treatment of mental illness run between $20-$60K per MONTH. So Gould Farm is really at the very low end of the cost ladder. It is a small private non-profit, but they are one of few programs that actually offer FA to families that qualify (it’s the same process, basically, as the FAFSA/college form). They usually give over $1 million yearly in FA. (Insurance, as we all know, does not cover most treatment programs for mental illness, and this is no exception.)
It’s a very unique treatment environment-- they combine clinical care (a team that includes psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, and a nursing staff ) with a wonderfully therapeutic work program (everyone in treatment works alongside staff 30 hours weekly on the farm). The work teams include Forestry & Grounds (they do things like clear hiking trails, tap trees and make maple syrup and apple cider), Bakery (they bake bread and bagels and pastries and make yogurt and ice cream), Farm & Dairy (where they care for animals, process milk, and make great cheddar cheese), Garden (they grow 5 acres of vegetables) , and Kitchen, among others. The work is meaningful; everyone plays a part. And residents in treatment (at Gould Farm they are called “guests”, as they were in the days the Farm was founded ) gain skills that are not just work-related but that help them learn to be able to get up in the morning, show up, be part of a team, and learn to see things through, even when everything in their head is telling them ‘you can’t do this, go back to bed and hide’. Guests are brought back into relationship with others and with themselves. Everyone is valued and appreciated-- there is no stigma, no judgement. Everyone there is a member of an authentic community – just about the entire staff lives on the farm with their families; there’s everything from newborn babies to teenagers in that mix. They all work together, play games together, share meals together. For someone whose world has fallen apart due to schizophrenia, bipolar, or depression, who have become isolated and marginalized, it is a place where they can gain a sense of competency and restore their self-confidence. The community is filled with guests and staff who are incredibly talented, creative, and smart. Musicians and artists abound., and people discover strengths and talents they didn’t know they had. It’s not a fit for everyone, but many people have blossomed there and used the skills they learned there to move on to independent, full lives; managing their illness rather than being defined by it. It is an extraordinary place, and they do treat many young adults whose mental health struggles began or were exacerbated at college. Their website: gouldfarm.org
