One Program, Two Models: Tailoring Mental Health Recovery to Individual Needs

At Strawberry Fields, mental health recovery is never one-size-fits-all. Our Community Residential Rehabilitation (CRR) program is transitional by design, offering people with serious mental illness the skills and support they need to move toward living more independently in the community. 

Brandy Roane, Program Manager, explains: “Our Bellefonte CRR is more intense. The supports are closer at hand. Our State College program is designed for people ready to take on more independence. It’s always individualized. Our job is to work ourselves out of a job by helping people build the skills to live successfully in the community.” 

To enter CRR, residents must be adults with a diagnosed serious mental illness within the last year and be Centre County residents. Individuals are referred from the Centre County Mental Health office and are usually individuals being discharged from an inpatient setting, coming from the correctional system, or facing homelessness. 

The diagnoses we see reflect the intensity of this work: about 75% of residents live with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, while others face major depression or mood disorders. These illnesses present unique challenges to daily functioning, often disrupting the very skills that CRR helps people rebuild, such as managing medications, cooking, cleaning, and sustaining relationships. 

Bellefonte’s program provides a home-like environment for three residents who require a higher level of daily structure. Staff are more present and visible to support activities of daily living, including meal preparation, household chores, and medication management. The program also emphasizes community engagement and participation, offering a safe and supportive first step for individuals who require close support in their day-to-day lives. 

In contrast, the State College program is apartment-based, serving 12 individuals. Each resident pays rent, buys groceries, and manages household responsibilities with coaching from staff. Residents set personal goals, attend cooking and cleaning groups, and spend at least 25 hours per week in community activities, from appointments to classes to jobs. Here, the emphasis is on practicing independence with support always available and accessible as residents need. 

Every resident begins with a psychosocial assessment that identifies strengths and areas of need, whether that’s medication management, daily living skills, social connections, or financial stability. From there, individualized Residential Service Plans are created and revisited every 60 days. 

Staff model skills, motivate residents, and adjust supports as people make progress or face setbacks. It is demanding work, requiring both compassion and firm boundaries. Brandy explains that staff “teach people how to cook, shop, and manage a household, but also how to cope with cycles of anxiety, paranoia, or depression. Every day is about coaching, redirecting, and celebrating small victories.” 

The CRR program is licensed by the state each year. During this process, inspectors review records, Residential Service Plans, and incident reports to ensure high-quality care and compliance. Some of the key areas they look at include: 

• Safety drills: Fire drills are required every other month, but Strawberry Fields goes a step further by conducting them monthly. 

• Medication protocols: Residents work toward full independence, showing three months of error-free self-medication before moving to the next level. 

• Quality reviews: Inspectors check residential service plans, evaluate progress toward goals, and review both planned and unplanned discharges to make sure standards are met. 

• Facility checks: Fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and other safety equipment are inspected regularly and verified annually. 

  
  

The impact of this work is best seen in the everyday breakthroughs. Roane recalls “a resident who used to feel overwhelmed by the idea of grocery shopping. Step by step, staff coached and supported the individual until shopping alone became possible. Even when occasional help was needed, confidence and independence grew. That’s the heart of CRR: helping people build skills in real-life situations until they can carry them forward on their own.” 

For a closer look at the impact of the CRR program, read Amy’s story here.