Katie Armstrong, Area Director of People Incorporated’s People II, confronts this question often.

People Incorporated is a nonprofit organization committed to helping people with mental illness and brain disorders. People II is a program under the People Incorporated umbrella offering three- to six-month transitional residential services to those in crises who suffer from mental illness and developmental disorders.

People II operates in a beautiful house located in South Minneapolis a few blocks from Lake Harriet. The great neighborhood is complimented by the positive, safe feel of the house. When I visited People II, I notice decorations everywhere and hear music playing. It is one of the resident’s birthdays and birthday celebrations are just one way the staff provides a welcoming atmosphere for the residents.

The house is home to up to six residents who are referred by the Metro Crisis Coordination Program. Each inhabitant lives in a communal setting where cooking, cleaning and respecting one another are part of the program.

Katie explains that the communication and the understanding of the staff and each individual client is at the core of the success of People II. The relationship between the staff and the residents is a tight but imperative rope to walk: “It’s a balance of pushing and listening. We are here and ready to help, but we can’t do it for anyone.” The staff at People II have both empathy and admiration for the residents of the house. As the staff provides services such as medication monitoring, occupational therapy and supportive counseling, they also take note of the strength of each individual to address and work on their problems. Katie says, “We try and put ourselves in their shoes. Life must be pretty hard if every day you are hearing voices at the bus stop. It’s not easy to get up and work on yourself and your problems every day.”

Although respect and admiration fuel the success of the house, it does not always carry outside the walls of People II. “Having a mental illness or developmental disorder is not a desirable label,” Katie explains as she goes further into the stigma that is attached to those who suffer from mental and developmental disorders. “People are not choosing to live with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but the stigma is there, just as people who are living with major depression are often seen as lazy.” Katie understands that a mental illness or developmental disorder is more of an abstract concept than a physical aliment, which one can see and touch, therefore making it harder to comprehend and accept. While she understands this stigma, she does not condone it. “It is a chemical imbalance and not a choice. It’s not a cancer or a broken leg. You can’t see it, unless you really want to sit down and try to understand.”

At the end of our interview I ask Katie what she would like to add. She tells me that before graduating from their stay at People II she hopes each client can say to themselves, “my mental illness does not define who I am,” a powerful statement of opportunity.

People Incorporated
317 York Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55130

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