Fairweather Lodge

The Lodge program is a permanent supportive housing intervention intended to support the mental health and employment needs of individuals with severe mental illness who are at increased risk of homelessness. The cost of living, including rent and utilities, at the Lodge, is configured on a case-by-case basis which is determined during a consultation with staff. The Lodge program combines:

• Permanent supportive, affordable housing
• Supported employment in a janitorial business
• Peer support and accountability
• Mental health recovery
• Daily medication support
• Access to psychiatric care and counseling support

The Fairweather Lodge program was developed by psychologist George Fairweather in California in 1963. Its goal is to provide emotional support, a place to live, and employment for its members. Fairweather found that patients with serious and persistent mental illness were less likely to return to the hospital when they lived and worked together in the community as a group, rather than individually. His research also showed that the Lodge Program helps people stay in the community longer and costs less than conventional treatment programs.

The Lodge model also includes an employment component, with the understanding that participation in gainful employment supports mental health recovery. Shelter House’s Lodge program provides employment for all Lodge members through its Fresh Starts business which contracts with local businesses to provide janitorial services. Gainful employment has proven to develop self-esteem, accountability, and a sense of significance for Lodge members.

To be eligible to participate in the Fairweather Lodge program, applicants must:

• meet State of Iowa requirements for serious and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder;
• be committed to taking medication as prescribed by a mental health provider;
• be alcohol and drug-free once you’ve been accepted; and
• be physically able to work in a Shelter House business on a part-time basis.

Admissions

We currently have openings in our Lodge program. Fill out our application below for inquiries. You may download the program application here and return to Amy Rasmussen, Fairweather Lodge Case Manager, amy.rasmussen@shelterhouseiowa.org or call (319) 259-7360, or fax your application to (319) 351-4907.

To join The Lodge, applicants next steps are:

• Interview with the Fairweather Lodge Coordinator.
• Meet with Fairweather Lodge staff and psychiatrist.
• The admissions team will follow up with applicants and notify them of acceptance into the program.

Fairweather Lodge update: Amhurst fire

We are thrilled to share the news that the tenants displaced by the devastating fire at one of our Fairweather Lodge houses have returned home.

A house fire caused extensive damage in December 2020 in the house where six men lived as part of our Fairweather Lodge program. Fairweather Lodge is a permanent supportive housing intervention that supports the mental health and employment needs of individuals with severe mental illness who are at increased risk of homelessness. While we are grateful there were no physical injuries, the men lost everything. Working with our partners at the Iowa City Housing Authority, we rented a suitable home for Lodge Members to return to the support system they painstakingly built: one another. They spent just over a year there, watching their new home take shape.

In February, they returned. 

Take a look. This video tour features the new home. It is a warm, welcoming space built according to trauma-informed design principles. You can see that the home’s design acknowledges the physical environment’s impact on an individual’s sense of identity, worth, and empowerment.

Learn more about Fairweather Lodge and our other Permanent Supportive Housing Programs!