The CCL is made up of the following individuals:

• Administrators of present Fairweather Lodge programs
• Staff of present Fairweather Lodge programs
• Lodge members who either currently live at or have lived in a Fairweather Lodge
• Community leaders, scholars and family members who want to help promote this type of program.
• Anyone who wishes to participate is welcome.

What is the Coalition for Community Living?

The Coalition for Community Living (CCL), formed in December 1978 by administrators and staff of existing Fairweather Lodge programs, is the national organization that provides support and guidance to agencies that have Lodges or wish to establish new ones, while also fostering connections among Lodge members across the country. The Fairweather Lodge itself is a residential–vocational community program designed to provide opportunities for individuals diagnosed with persistent psychiatric conditions to function at their optimum potential by learning to discuss and resolve problems collaboratively while supporting one another. As the coalition evolved, its founding members chose to expand their focus beyond the Fairweather Lodge model and established goals that include promoting community support systems, educating the public about Fairweather Lodge programs, engaging in research to better meet the needs of individuals with psychiatric conditions, and sharing information from that research with care providers.

Direction of CCL

• Meeting the challenges of a changing healthcare system
• Continuing internet presence
• Technical Assistance in Affirmative Business Development
• Participation in National conferences and institutes
• Development and Deployment of a Toolkit
• Acknowledgement of Evidence Based Practices

The Coalition for Community Living (CCL) believes and promotes the following as part of life-long recovery:

The power and value of participant teams. People working together. Specifically:

• In the usefulness and appropriateness of organizing participants into teams.
• That teamwork is as important as any other skill taught or learned in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
• That group dynamics are an omnipresent force and useful tool in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
• That interdependence is a more mature stage of human development than independence.In the usefulness and appropriateness of organizing participants into teams.
• That teamwork is as important as any other skill taught or learned in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
• That group dynamics are an omnipresent force and useful tool in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
• That interdependence is a more mature stage of human development than independence.
• The ultimate responsibility for problem-solving rests with members; professional input must be limited to consultation; never direction.
• The usefulness and appropriateness of affirmative industries (i.e., member-run business) as a strategy for achieving vocational and financial independence goals.

Increasing the social status of individuals diagnosed with mental illness as productive participants in their communities.

True empowerment flows only from responsibility. An individual’s role as a productive citizen has more significance for life-long recovery than their role as a patient or client of mental health services.

Community modification is an effective strategy with respect to creating housing solutions.

The power and value of integrated services aligned with the person’s wishes, desires, and dreams. All support agencies and treatment providers must understand that treatment and rehabilitation goals must be defined by the person.