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Shalom
House began more than 37 years ago with one man's belief that there has
to be a safe, caring place where people with mental illness can live in
our community. Having watched his brother Torsten's painful journey through
various family member homes to mental hospitals and shelters, Birger Johnson,
one of Shalom House's founders, dreamed of creating "a place halfway
between." And so, with the help of friends, churches and Governor
Curtis, Shalom House was opened on High Street in Portland in 1972. Although
Torsten has never seen Shalom House (he lives in Los Angeles), his experience
with mental illness helped create a safe place for others to live.
Change and
choice have always driven Shalom House. In the late 1960's thousands of
patients with mental illness were released from hospitals during the deinstitutionalization
movement and forced to fend for themselves in unprepared and often unwelcoming
communities. With the creation of the Shalom House, people with mental
illness were offered a halfway house to ease the transition from hospital
to independent living.
In the last
37 years, we've grown from one house with 15 beds to an organization that
offers comprehensive services and a range of affordable housing options.
And as we've grown, we've changed to meet the changing needs of our clients.
We learned that stable, long-term housing with flexible support is the
key to recovery. We no longer just operate halfway houses, but offer a
wide range of affordable, decent housing choices - independent apartments,
group homes, rooming houses - with varying levels of assistance depending
upon the needs of each client. |
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