For many Arkansas adults living with serious mental illness, finding long-term support that goes beyond medical treatment can be challenging. The Gardens, a Community Support System Provider (CSSP), is working to change that by creating therapeutic communities designed to help individuals build meaningful, independent lives.
“Everyone I know has somebody in their life who has struggled with some kind of mental health crisis,” says Georgia Johnston, president and co-founder of The Gardens. “It’s not them and us, it’s we.”
That philosophy serves as the foundation of The Gardens’ approach. Guided by its I-CARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence), the organization focuses on helping adults 21 and older living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and other mental health diagnoses. Rather than defining people by their conditions, The Gardens emphasizes individualized care built around each person’s strengths, goals and potential…