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Our History
Founded as a nonprofit 501(C)3 in 1976 by mental health professionals and community members in the Bronx, we embrace a celebrated tradition of successfully and compassionately caring for the mentally ill pioneered more than 700 years ago in Geel, Belgium. Since we began our work we have grown from offering counseling services and a roof over the heads of a handful of people, to providing housing and comprehensive support services to hundreds of formerly homeless and mentally ill people in New York City today.
our name
What Does Geel Mean?
The Geel name is an homage to Geel, Belgium, a city known around the world for its legendary system of supportive, compassionate care for the mentally ill. Our combination of counseling, services and housing is based in part on this esteemed system of supportive care for mentally ill people, which has excelled in Belgium for centuries.
The Geel name is an homage to Geel, Belgium, a city known around the world for its legendary system of supportive, compassionate care for the mentally ill. Our combination of counseling, services and housing is based in part on this esteemed system of supportive care for mentally ill people, which has excelled in Belgium for centuries.
For more than 700 years, Geel Belgium has maintained a tradition of opening their homes and creating a welcoming and supportive environment to people suffering from mental health problems which led to the de-institutionalization in psychiatric care. This very model was replicated in the late 20th century in the United States. The immediate effects were a reduction of population size of mental institutions by releasing patients, shortening stays, and reducing both admissions and readmission rates. The money saved helped pave the way for supportive environments focusing on the individual reducing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Many non for profit organizations came out of this movement including Geel Community Services, Inc which is proud to maintain the name and be part of the to focus on this vulnerable and underserved population, carrying on the work which has its roots in Geel Belgium.
Our Name
The Geel name is an homage to Geel, Belgium, a city known around the world for its legendary system of supportive, compassionate care for the mentally ill. Our combination of counseling, services and housing is based in part on this esteemed system of supportive care for mentally ill people, which has excelled in Belgium for centuries.
The Geel name is an homage to Geel, Belgium, a city known around the world for its legendary system of supportive, compassionate care for the mentally ill. Our combination of counseling, services and housing is based in part on this esteemed system of supportive care for mentally ill people, which has excelled in Belgium for centuries.
For more than 700 years, Geel Belgium has maintained a tradition of opening their homes and creating a welcoming and supportive environment to people suffering from mental health problems which led to the de-institutionalization in psychiatric care. This very model was replicated in the late 20th century in the United States. The immediate effects were a reduction of population size of mental institutions by releasing patients, shortening stays, and reducing both admissions and readmission rates. The money saved helped pave the way for supportive environments focusing on the individual reducing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Many non for profit organizations came out of this movement including Geel Community Services, Inc which is proud to maintain the name and be part of the to focus on this vulnerable and underserved population, carrying on the work which has its roots in Geel Belgium.
Our Mission
Our mission is to enable people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders to establish and maintain safety and stability in a supportive living environment. Geel’s housing and support services combine a coordinated, self-directed approach that is individually tailored and trauma informed. Our model promotes increased self-sufficiency, self-worth, recovery, and the ability for those we serve to live independently within their communities.
confidence
Our Beliefs
We believe a safe, welcoming home and social environment, is necessary for individuals to achieve their goals.
We believe people thrive when taking increased responsibility for themselves and their independence.
We believe in a skilled and compassionate workforce embracing the need for each service recipient to empower themselves.
We believe our model of care reduces the need for costlier and confining intensive settings, while lessening the strain on the health care and legal systems.
We believe in partnering with providers of medical and mental health services for a coordination of care and improved quality of life.
dedication
Our Commitment
Geel Community Services is committed to Diversity, Equity and inclusion. Geel senior staff have been participating in the Bureau of Mental Health (BMH) Racial Justice and Health Equity collaborative. This has helped us to promote, practice and develop policies to understand and confront our own biases and work to social change.