Recovery-Oriented Housing for People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness
PCLA specializes in housing and long-term recovery supports for adults living with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders.
Why This Focus Exists
People living with severe and persistent mental illness often face long-term barriers to housing stability, employment, and community inclusion.
Clinical care alone is not enough; recovery happens in everyday life - in stable housing, relationships, purpose, and autonomy.
PCLA was founded to meet this gap and has focused on community-based recovery housing since 1982.
“While we support individuals with a range of needs, PCLA’s core expertise is working with people whose mental health challenges are persistent, complex, and require long-term, recovery-oriented supports.”
What We Mean by “Recovery”
At PCLA, recovery does not mean the absence of mental illness.
Recovery means living a meaningful, self-directed life, with the right supports in place, despite ongoing mental health challenges.
The Recovery Dimensions Framework
To guide our programs, partnerships, and supports, PCLA organizes its work around five interconnected recovery dimensions.
Dimension 1: Housing Stability
What it means:
Safe, secure, and appropriate housing as the foundation for recovery.
How PCLA supports this:
Licensed residential care
Assisted living
Supported independent living
Crisis response and transitions
Dimension 2: Belonging
What it means:
Feeling connected, included, and part of a community.
How PCLA supports this:
Licensed residential care
Assisted living
Supported independent living
Crisis response and transitions
Dimension 3: Purpose
What it means:
Opportunities to contribute, learn, and pursue meaningful goals.
How PCLA supports this:
Inclusive Futures Program
Volunteering and employment pathways
Creative, recreational, and educational opportunities
Dimension 4: Health
What it means:
Supporting both mental and physical health in daily life.
How PCLA supports this:
Mental health nursing
Partnerships with UBC Dentistry, Puretone Hearing
Nutrition, recreation, and wellness programming
Dimension 5: Autonomy
What it means:
Choice, independence, and self-determination.
How PCLA supports this:
Life skills training
Transitional and bridging programs
Supporting residents to make decisions about their lives
How This Framework Shapes Our Work
Programs are designed and evaluated through recovery dimensions.
Partnerships are chosen based on how they strengthen recovery.
Resident stories and outcomes are collected using this framework.
Donor support is aligned with specific recovery outcomes.
Who This Approach Is For
For individuals & families:
Housing and supports designed for long-term recovery from severe mental illness.
For funders & partners:
A clear, evidence-informed approach to supporting people with SPMI in the community.
For policymakers:
A model showing how housing, recovery, and support systems intersect.