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Our House
In 1977, Progress established a program called "Our House" in response to a request by the Tennessee State Department of Mental Health. The problem the department faced was a shortage of facilities for adolescents with development disabilities - an alternative to jail.
Our House provided a residential setting for young men, ages 13-21, who were in state custody and who are temporarily not allowed to return to their natural homes. Again, the common denominator was a primary diagnosis of mental retardation. The young men often came from economically disadvantaged homes and had a history of juvenile delinquency. Others were preyed upon by their peers or were removed from home environments deemed unfit by the State of Tennessee. Some came with criminal records for offenses ranging from truancy to assault.
The object of the program was two-fold: 1) to provide an alternative to incarceration and 2) to prepare these young men for successful community living - either returning to their family home or living independently as a young adult. This was accomplished through a variety of structured programs and therapies, as well as successful performance in the Public School system. Components of the program included counseling, behavior modification, tutoring and a graduated scale of restrictions and rewards.
The program was successful in reducing recidivism and helping to prepare these young men to go on to a purposeful life. For many of the young men in the program, this was the only stable, structured living arrangement they had ever experienced. It also provided them with caring adults in whom they could look to for guidance, roll modeling and love.
In 2005, due to changes in the way Department of Children's Services decided to provide services to people such as the young men of Our House, the program was closed and the property sold. On a positive note, several of the young men who resided at Our House, have gone on to stay with Progress, where they now receive their adult residential and day supports.
