Melissa’s House is a living legacy to Melissa Goldberg — a loving daughter and sister who was an outstanding student and a talented athlete. Her battle with mental illness began in her preteen years. At age 24, she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.
Melissa spent many years in and out of mental health facilities. Her family worked tirelessly to find a residential treatment facility for her that would provide the support she needed in a nurturing and comfortable environment. They never found what they were looking for.
Melissa died of a brain aneurysm in The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center psychiatric ward at the age of 36.
Sadly, the Goldberg’s experience is not unique.
“While numerous studies indicate one’s environment can positively influence recovery, finding nurturing comfortable residences for adults living with mental illness is difficult. The need far outweighs the supply,” according to Melissa’s House’s Co-chairmen Billy Goldberg and Jeff Knupp.
That’s where Melissa’s House comes in.
Partnering with mental health housing organizations, Melissa’s House updates and renews existing group residences with aesthetic changes that positively impact the well-being of those who live and work there. By providing improvements and enhancements to such residences, it promotes healing, recovery and restoring hope.
Smart Business spoke with the co-chairmen about how Melissa’s House is helping build stronger communities.
SB: How has the mission and focus of Melissa’s House evolved, and what led you to make this change?
BG/JK: Melissa’s parents, Nate and Elaine Goldberg, founded Melissa’s House shortly after her death in 2006. They wanted to ensure that others would not face the same problems they did in terms of residential placements.
They worked tirelessly for years, raising thousands of dollars to build Melissa’s House while dispelling the myths so often associated with mental illness.
But the task, renovating and running a residential treatment facility, was challenging. In some cases, the issues appeared insurmountable.
Thus, while the Goldberg’s mission, to create comfortable, nurturing homes for adults living with mental illness, hasn’t changed, Melissa’s House’s tactics have.
Today, we are focused on existing residential facilities and implementing cosmetic enhancements to make the environment warmer and more inviting.
By breathing new energy, strength and life into existing residences we help to restore hope. The shift in tactics means we can implement changes faster and positively impact more people right now.
SB: How would you advice others, either for-profit or nonprofit, who are facing a similar challenge?
BG/JK: Achieving your objectives doesn’t happen over night or even over years.
We recognize that this is a journey, and adjusting our path to fulfill our mission is part of the process.
In order to be successful, nonprofits must be open to shifting course. The organization’s leadership needs to recognize when something isn’t effective and think outside the box to figure out how to make it work better.
We are excited with the direction we are heading now and are confident we can continue to fulfill our mission. In addition, our new tactics have been positively received. This alone has helped to jump-start the work.
SB: Is there anything you’d do differently in hindsight?
BG/JK: We are proud of what we have achieved, thus far.
Melissa’s House has raised thousands of dollars. These funds are being used to enhance the environments of existing residential treatment facilities.
Melissa’s Institute has helped raise awareness of mental illness. Our programming has helped dispel the myths too often associated with mental illness.
In hindsight, could we have arrived at this point in our journey more quickly? Perhaps, but we are excited with where we are now and where we are heading.
SB: What has Melissa’s House accomplished this year with its new vision, and what’s on the horizon for the future?
BG/JK: Our first project is already underway. Work has begun on a women’s residential facility on the east side of Columbus. The building is home to 38 women and is managed by the Columbus Housing Network.
Our work is focused on three specific areas: exterior spaces, common living areas and a long hallway that is presently space not being utilized.
Central Ohio interior designer Chris King of Manifesto Inc. has donated his talents, creating the Melissa’s House design plan, focusing on enhancing these spaces so that they are warmer, more comfortable and inviting to both the residents and their families and friends who are encouraged to visit regularly.
The residents of the facility have contributed their thoughts to the design plans and are as excited as we are to watch the plan become a reality.
Our goal is to refresh a minimum of one residence per quarter in 2015.
We plan to expand the work of Melissa’s Institute as well. The institute’s mission is to improve the public’s understanding of mental illness through education and awareness. The institute focuses on outreach initiatives that help dispel the stigmas so often associated with mental illness.
One in four adults will struggle with mental illness at some point in their lives. Now, more than ever, we need to raise awareness and offer support so that these individuals can lead productive lives.
In the coming months we will be announcing plans to expand the efforts of Melissa’s Institute in order to further impact the well-being of the broader mental health community.
