The programs treat clients for a period of approximately 14 days. Staff are on duty to accept admissions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A minimum two staff persons are on site at all times with the number reaching three or four during peak program hours. The key role of staff is to build a supportive, trusting relationship with each client. The plans are reviewed daily.
Staff offer intensive support and assistance.
Clients and staff work together to operate the household. The expectation is that each client fully participate in the group living experience, including meal planning and preparation and keeping the house clean, as well as in taking responsibility for participating in group activities. Many who enter the programs lack the skills necessary for independent or semi-independent living. It is central to the philosophy of the program model that more tangible and therapeutic gains are often made around the planning and preparation of a meal, for example, than around more formal, traditional therapy interventions. A number of clients seen in the programs receive no regular medical health care, either because it is unavailable to them or they find it too difficult to obtain in emergency rooms.