Today we’d like to introduce you to The Center For Living And Learning
Hi The Center for Living and Learning, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The Center for Living and Learning is a private, non-profit residential treatment facility which treats adults with severe and persistent mental illness, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. We are located on a 30 acre farm in Franklin, TN and provide 24-hour residential care and job training in a therapeutic environment which emphasizes the highest level of functioning and independent living.
The Center was founded in 1986 by the Lackey family in an effort to provide a recuperative environment for their brother Donald. Suffering with chronic schizophrenia, Donald had been in several treatment programs across the country without any long-term success. His family decided to start a program close to home to develop a setting for his recovery. In 1988, CLLN officially began to accept other residents into the program. In 1992, CLLN added a multifaceted horticultural vocational program to provide job training.
Today The Center for Living and Learning Nashville is an ideal environment for the recovery and reintegration of persons needing a holistic treatment approach for their illness.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The Center for Living and Learning is a 501c3 non-profit organization. We rely on generous donations of volunteer time, in-kind goods and financial contributions to provide valuable support for our programs. Our needs range from from property upgrades and maintenance, to garden equipment, to branding and messaging resources.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The Center is unique in its approach to mental health care. We believe in holistic care, providing psychiatric, residential and vocational support to help each individual reach their personal goals and highest level of independence. We are able to support residents long term or short term, depending on their unique needs.
The Center has used a goal oriented system since its beginning. There is a constant attempt to meet and exceed the many individual needs of the residents. Center personnel, the medical director, and a licensed clinical social worker conduct evaluations and make recommendations on a regular basis.
The Residential Program provides support through collaborative, individualized plans of care. The program provides a daily structure which emphasizes activities of daily living. This structure empowers residents by developing life skills and building confidence in their abilities. Success is measured on an individual basis. We continue to case manage individuals who have graduated from the program and are successfully living independently.
The Vocational Rehabilitation program prepares individuals to work independently in the community. It is a multi-faceted, individualized process that can look different for each person. Through lessons, group therapy, and on-site work experience, participants build job skills and life skills which prepare them to work independently. This program has proven to enhance the lives of the trainees and result in volunteer and/or job placement for the majority of participants. As the individuals demonstrate appropriate skills on a consistent basis, they begin the process of job placement. In order to ensure successful, long-term placement in the community, we provide onsite job coaching to the employee and supportive communication with the employer. Because we are able to offer this type of support, our trainees are able to maintain successful employment.
What matters most to you? Why?
The Center for Living and Learning changes lives. We are the only residential treatment center in Williamson County that provides these unique services. We believe in the full potential of each individual that we have the privilege of working with.
Fundamental to the Center’s success are:
– The belief in the potential productivity of the most severe psychiatric client
– A belief that work, whatever form it may take, is a deeply generative and reintegrative force
– The multi-disciplinary approach which addresses the biological, psychological and social needs of the residents
– The unique design envisions a household in which staff and residents work together to develop an appreciation for their – unique contributions to the household and in which each member is integral to making their home run smoothly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.centerforlivingandlearning.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforlivingandlearningtn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Center-for-Living-and-Learning-Vocational-Rehabilitation-Program-100079598343907/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105193917/admin/dashboard/
