Program Overview | Southern Arizona | Yavapai County, Arizona | New Mexico
Semi-Independent Apartments for Seriously Mentally Ill Adults
Intermountain Centers offers a continuum of care for Seriously Mentally Ill
adults that includes semi-independent apartments, some of which adjoin Kiva
House. The residents of the apartments are capable of a higher level of
independence than those folks that reside in Kiva House. Both the Kiva and Vida
Nueva apartments provide each resident with a permanent home of their own where
they decorate and maintain their own apartment, prepare their own meals, enjoy
visits from family members, study for classes that they might be involved in at
Pima Community College or other institutions, engage in recreational and leisure
activities like art and music, participate in field trips and special seasonal
events, have barbecues and picnics with the other residents and their families,
and engage in community based activities. Many of the clients in this program
use public transportation to commute to Day Programs, schools and their jobs in
the Tucson community.
The direct care staff provide the residents in the Semi-Independent Apartments with ancillary services such as budgeting, crisis intervention, living skills maintenance, medication monitoring and shopping for groceries and personal items. The staff are available on a 24 hour, 7 day a week basis for support of any need or issue that arises.
Contact and Referral Information
Vincent J. McHale, Program Director
Intermountain Centers for Human Development
P. O. Box 17749
Tucson, AZ 85731-7749
Telephone: (520) 721-1887
Fax: (520) 721-0069
Email: vinniem@ichd.net
Success Story
Juliet Thanks Intermountain For a New Life
Juliet has come a long way, in many senses, during the past year. A young
Navajo woman who was raised by her mother on the Reservation near Tuba City, she
came to Tucson this year to live in Intermountain’s Vida Nueva Program because
of her severe mental illness. She brought with her an acute interest in her
Navajo culture, a significant talent in weaving and an anger management problem
that kept her from enjoying the wonders of her home community. At Vida Nueva,
Juliet was placed in a two bedroom apartment with 24 hour staffing and a
roommate. She immediately impressed the staff with her intense pride in her new
home and the level of cleanliness and order that she maintained. Early on,
Juliet identified her interest in going to college and the staff quickly got her
enrolled in Adult Education courses at Pima Community College. In addition, she
is beginning regular coursework in prerequisites for a degree by taking Math at
Pima. Juliet enjoys many healthy pastimes; she loves to swim, play basketball,
and work out at the gym. Acquiring new computer skills gives her a great deal of
pride and pleasure. Juliet is off and running, building new vocational and
leisure skills, and thanks Intermountain for helping her with her mental illness
and anger management!