Gould Farm. A Model of Compassionate and Holistic Healing. From the archives.

This is a republishing of an archived episode with Lisanne and Jane of Gould Farm.

"Gould Farm is a unique and pioneering refuge for people with mental disorders…a place where respect and relationship, work and friends, are central to the healing process. We need many more such places in the world.” — Dr. Oliver Sacks

Founded in 1913, Gould Farm is the first residential community in the nation dedicated to helping adults with mental health challenges move toward recovery, health, and greater independence through community living, meaningful work, and clinical support. Within this safe, family-like community made up of guests, staff, families and volunteers, all members are accepted, respected and celebrated as individuals.

"We work with adults who are living with mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar and schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia. Gould Farm provides a safe environment in which everyone feels accepted and trusted while also being held to high expectations as a productive, working member of the community. Guests are empowered to share their many talents with the community and are also given the opportunity to learn and practice new skills in a supported environment.Guests work with the clinical team to optimize their medications, build compensatory strategies to manage the symptoms of their illness, and create resiliency in work and social contexts. Through a stepped progression, symptoms improve, real-life skills are learned, and a sense of worth and hope is recovered that allows the individual to build the strength and confidence to move towards greater independence and recovery."

Gould Farm offers a continuum of services including supported transition out of residential treatment and an extended community in both the Berkshires and the Boston area.

Lisanne Finston, Executive Director

Lisanne came to Gould Farm after 20 years serving as Executive Director of an innovative anti-hunger organization serving people with mental health and addiction challenges in N.J. She received her MSW from Rutgers University and her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Lisanne values the pioneering model practiced at Gould Farm that blends old fashioned, life-enhancing work, with the best in clinical practices to support healing and recovery. From the Farm to Fellside, she loves being a part of this community and seeing people regain a sense of purpose and widen their circle of support for the journey.

Jane Linsley, Clinical Director

Jane has been working in the field of mental health and addictions for over 30 years, and on the Gould Farm Clinical Team since 2004. She has been Clinical Director of the team since 2006.

A graduate of Smith School for Social Work, Jane is licensed in social work and addictions, with additional certifications in both Trauma and Women’s Relational Theory of Mental Health.

Jane has an on-going passion for beneficial new therapies and work in the area of mental health care, as well as an on-going, and long-standing, passion for how people relate to issues of inclusion and the shame resulting from stigma – both for the individual and as a culture.Being part of a multifaceted team is for her both a privilege and a boon, especially the opportunities it allows to explore and introduce the exciting principles of therapies like Open Dialogue, which enhance the Gould Farm network of support around Guests.

In This Episode

• Gould Farm
• Seeking Clinical Social Worker

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