LEARNING THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS
Second Story Respite is a short-stay, sleeps six, voluntary opportunity to learn to use relationships to move out of old roles and patterns. Staffed by peers (people with lived experience of mood swings, consuming fear, voices, visions,…) who have learned to be with some discomfort, the household provides an opportunity to experience what change feels like, to learn new responses through relationships with each other. With the expectation that everyone is capable and competent and inherently knows what they need, both paid staff and people involved create a space for those qualities to surface. Along with creating a home, they share stories to connect and understand each others experiences, gently challenging each other to listen to the untold story. Their hope is not to rebuild a culture of illness, but instead generate some sparkling moments of connection and trust, lessons which will spill over into the future.
