Stepping Stones of Rockford

Individuals with serious mental illnesses are a part of our community. They share the need for safe, affordable and decent housing and the right to a quality of life afforded by the least restrictive living environment. We are here because, to fulfill their daily needs and enjoy their rights as community members, many adults with serious mental illnesses require a strong network of support service

s; a special kind of on-going encouragement. provides the housing, psycho-social rehabilitation and support to help adults with serious mental illnesses function as productively and independently as possible. By offering a variety of housing alternatives and individualized life-skills rehabilitation programs, the staff of Stepping Stones helps residents attain their maximum potential for independent living. For some, Stepping Stones is the transition between institutionalized living and life in the mainstream. For others, Stepping Stones becomes a long-term home enabling our residents to live in the community without relinquishing the support they need. Stepping Stones provides psychiatric rehabilitation services for adults eighteen and older with severe emotional disturbances or serious and persistent mental illnesses including schizophrenia, major depression, bi-polar disorder and certain personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder. Stepping Stones strives to serve the individuals participating in our program in the least restrictive environment possible and thus offers a continuum of community based housing and mental health care. Living environments include supervised group homes, supervised apartments and a variety of agency owned and operated supported housing options. Additionally case management services are provided for those capable of living more independently on their own. The level of mental health services and housing participation is determined by each person’s assessed needs, choice and the level of supervision necessary. While the Stepping Stones model is based on participants beginning in a group home and progressing through each stage of the continuum of care, individuals may enter the program at any level and progress through the continuum in the program that provides the level of support that best meets their needs. Because serious mental illnesses are relapse prone, the continuum of care also allows individuals, when necessary, to move from a less supervised site to a more structured one for brief periods of time. Once participants become re-stabilized, they are then able to return to their previous level of care and housing. Regardless of the program they are participating in, all persons served have access to a Masters level on-call clinician on a 24 hour basis.