Each Wellmet home is independent of the other, but they operate identically. They are known respectively as the William Street house, the Leonard Avenue house and the Powder House Boulevard house, due to the streets they are located on. They are centrally located in Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts, accessible to public transportation, and are indistinguishable from the other houses in the neighborhood.
Each house has a residence director who is a full time employee, and 3 counselors who work 20 hours a week. While the residence director is a paid employee, the counselors are volunteers. They receive room and board only for their services. None of the staff are mental health professionals by design (i.e., have advanced clinical degrees), though some of our staff may be in the process of attaining such a degree.
All of the staff however, are clinically aware. They have been chosen by residents and the other staff for their empathy and listening skills, decision-making ability, and their personal characteristics that would make them a good housemate. While Wellmet does not provide therapy, and hence the requirement for a therapist, we are therapeutic. Our staff provide supportive counseling that supplements psychotherapy. Wellmet offers a safe home for people, with food and companionship, a structure for daily activities, and staff to provide the encouragement and support those with psychiatric disabilities may need to be active and safe in the community.
Wellmet is largely an evening program. At least one staff person is on duty from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. Monday through Friday (7:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday), and overnight they are asleep in their bedrooms. A resident can request a "check-in" during the evening hours, or ask for help if there is an emergency during the overnight. Otherwise, the staff function as facilitators to social interaction and provide oversight to each individual.
There are no staff on duty during the weekdays as residents are out of the house. However, residents may return to the house as early as 2:00 p.m., but staff are not on duty until 6:00 p.m. This means it is very likely that residents will be unsupervised for several hours during the afternoon, and many hours during the course of the day. Consequently, all residents must be able self-manage any crisis they may experience. This could mean calling their therapist, following a safety plan, or going to an emergency room.
Each resident is a assigned a goals person, a staff member with whom the resident meets for 1 hour each week to discuss a wide range of possible topics. It may be best viewed as supportive counseling, and the topics may range from budgeting money, problem-solving everyday issues, assisting an individual to meet Wellmet's requirements, addressing hygiene issues, or providing advocacy and encouragement. There is also a weekly house meeting run by the residents to address community issues of the home.