3.  Any adult in Tarrant County who has a mental illness and stable community housing qualifies for membership.  A person does not need a referral from a professional to come to Paradise Center.  Three years ago, we had to implement a change in membership requirements due to space limitations in our building.  In order to better serve al of our members, our Board made the decision to limit membership to those with mental illnesses who had secured stable community housing.  If a person who is homeless applies for membeship, we make referrals and encourage them to come back when they have a stable place to live.  We made this decision based on our belief that without stable community housing, it is almost impossible for a person to achieve mental stability and address recovery issues. 

4.  It is not unusual for an entire day to pass when no one mentions mental illnesses in any form.  Even though we are a community center BY mental health consumers and FOR mental health consumers, we are PEOPLE first.  We have a business to run and we do it everyday.  We treat people the way we would if we were at any other business.  Even in our Peer Support groups, the conversations are mostly about how what we're encountering and how we're coping. 

5.  It takes 14 dedicated volunteers giving over 7,000 hours each year to keep Paradise Center running.  And ALL of those volunteers are members with chronic mental illnesses.  When people come to our front door, they're greeted by a member volunteer.  When they call, they are helped by a member volunteer.  When members order something from our snack bar or shop in our Thrift Store, they are helped by a member volunteer.  When members participate in activites, they are led by member volunteers.  When someone needs immediate support, a referral, or help managing behavior, they are helped by a member volunteer.   Without our member volunteers, Paradise Center would not exist.