It’s Launch Time
Get excited: the Launch program is here! Formerly known as Community Residential Apartment Services (CRAS), Launch offers apartment and group home services for individuals living with mental illness. With the assistance of staff, residents work toward developing independent living skills and achieving personal rehabilitation goals.
Kris Stroup (Mental Health Director), Yvette Engel (Program Coordinator), Bernie Hartlove, and Mark Hilton at the Mental Health Services Family Picnic.
The CRAS program started in 1980 with only a handful of apartments, but the scope of the program quickly expanded. “We soon realized that folks needed more support than an apartment situation,” says Director of Mental Health Services Kris Stroup. “They needed some group home living situations.” Within five years, the program expanded to encompass two homes and twelve apartments. This change contributed to CRAS’s eventual rebrand as Launch.
Through their experience in Launch, residents come away with not only new skills, but a sense of community, belonging, and understanding. Mark Hilton, who has been a service user at Bell for 40 years, views the former CRAS program as an essential pillar on his road to recovery. “I kind of felt like, for a big part of my life, I didn’t fit in anywhere,” he says. “I’ve gotta say, I really fit in here, and I’m grateful to be part of the Bell family.” Bernie Hartlove, another service user, speaks glowingly of his experience as well. “The greatest thing about this program is two things: people and opportunity.”
In re-launching CRAS as Launch, Program Coordinator Yvette Engel hopes to continue serving residents well and empower them on their own journeys. “I’ve been with the program for 17 years, so I’ve seen it grow for a long time, and we’ve developed into a pretty successful program with success stories everywhere,” she said at the Mental Health Services Family Picnic where Launch was revealed. “The most important thing is that we’re here as a tool. We are here to help guide and support.”