Milestones in CareLink's History

Marcella Schmoeger's zeal to offer a welcoming place for people discharged from psychiatric hospitals is formalized in the founding of Tricounty Fountain Center. She was influenced by Fountain House in New York which promoted the earliest psychosocial rehabilitation services. Tricounty is the first agency in the Philadelphia suburban region to offer such a clear alternative to institutional care.

The agency's first property is purchased in Lansdowne, PA. It is limited to use by day visitors because zoning for residential services is rejected. A two-year legal battle follows over zoning changes in which the Borough moved to force Tricounty to cease operations. Strident advocacy efforts bring the issue of community services for people with mental illness to the fore locally.

A judge's decision allowed Tricounty to continue operating, but prohibited housing in the apartments of the Lansdowne site. Later that year, the agency rented different apartments to house individuals in need.

The agency receives its first public funding from Delaware County to help support the psychosocial day program.

Tricounty purchases a second property in Lansdowne for residential services. Seventeen people are now housed in agency apartments.

The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation funds the first Transitional Employment services in the state, which are offered by Tricounty as part of an expanded vocational program.

Residential services are recognized as valuable rehabilitation with funding from the Delaware County Office of Mental Health.

Grassroots fundraising, advocacy and support from families help to renovate a large stone home as a 24-hour supervised residence. The program is named Torrey House in honor of psychiatrist and advocate E. Fuller Torrey, M.D.

Delaware County recognizes the growing need for community residential services for people leaving state hospitals and funds a new, higher level of care in the Special Needs program . A new residence opens in Crum Lynne .

The agency now offers housing to 43 people and has a staff of approximately 40.

Tricounty opens the Brandywine Hills Group Home in Wilmington. It is only the second community residence for people with mental illness in Delaware and was integral in the development of regulations for residential programs in the State.

Two more new programs reflect the trend toward developing specialized residences for people with complex needs. The Senior Shared Living program opens to serve older people leaving the state hospital and the STAR Residential and Partial Hospital programs open to serve people with mental illness and problem sexual behavior.

The agency changes its name to CareLink Community Support Services to better reflect the range and nature of services provided.

CareLink offers residential services in Bryn Mawr that do not serve people from a restricted geographic area. Private funding and third party insurance allow for highly individualized services to meet a wide range of needs. Mobile Psychiatric Rehabilitation services are added in anticipation of managed care funding for psychosocial rehabilitation services.

CareLink celebrates 40 years of service excellence . At the end the fiscal year, CareLink provided residential services for 149 people, served 963 in non-residential settings. CareLink employs nearly 200 people.

Independent Living of Delaware merged with CareLink Community Support Services to expand and improve services for people with disabilities in the State of Delaware. It was the first merger of two rehabilitation agencies in the state.

CareLink opens Delaware's first neighborhood home for Non-Elderly Adults with Physical Disabilities.

CareLink celebrates 45 years of services to people with disabilities. At the end of the 03-04 fiscal year, CareLink provided services to over 900 people in 22 residences and in seven non-residential programs.

CareLink expands services to the State of New Jersey with a residential program for five men and women returning to the community from Ancora State Hospital.

All of CareLink's non-residential services are included in the CARF accreditation process and receive the full three-year accreditation. Residential services, most of which are licensed by state and local entities, were not included in the survey.

2007