For Providers

What is Arch Street Center?

Arch Street Center has been a valuable community resource since 1983. Our mission is to support the recovery of adults living with serious mental illness. The Center is open seven days a week, providing meals, and a program that encourages, empowers, and educates individuals living with serious mental illness while providing basic human needs like shelter and food that contribute to giving life meaning and value. We currently have over 300 members and serve approximately 50 individuals a day. There are other places in the city to find a meal, there is only one place to go for people to receive integrated services 365 days a year. Our members get a sense of stability from Arch Street that helps them make better decisions and be more productive members of the community.

Arch Street Center is open 365 days a year, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Lunch is served at 12:30 p.m. every day and dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. (4:30 on the weekends).

Who Can Join?

1. Members must be at least 18 years of age. Although, we recognize that there are many high functioning DD consumers who would benefit from membership, the purpose of the Center is to serve individuals with a primary BH diagnosis.
2. We welcome a preliminary visit by potential members. Visits can be arranged by contacting the Center. No one may attend after his or her initial visit until an appropriate referral has been made and an intake occurred. Please be sure visitors meet the criteria for membership prior to initial visit.
3. Potential members are referred by written application. Active clients of Lancaster County BHDS or CSG ICM should be referred by their case manager. Private mental health professionals and family physicians may also refer potential members by completing the referral form and sending it to the Director along with a signed release of information form. Referrals will be active for a period of 3 months.
4. The Arch Street Center Director reserves the right to contact the referral source with any concerns and may request a case manager or other referral source to attend the intake meeting. The Arch Street Center Personnel/Programming committee will review any referrals at the request of the Director.
5. An individual may be accepted at the time of intake. If questions or concerns arise, additional time will be needed to present the issues to the committee for review. In the event of membership rejection, the Center must notify applicant and referral source.
6. Referral sources should keep in mind that Arch Street Center is a social club not a treatment facility. Potential members should be actively involved with treatment goals such as medication, appointments, and other treatment recommendations.
7. Individuals who have a history of drug and alcohol abuse or violence, must be stable in the community for at least 3 months prior to referral. These applications will be carefully reviewed prior to membership approval. Depending on the information obtained in the referral application, the member may be subject to a probationary period.
8. Referral sources have a responsibility to discourage a member who may be demonstrating an increase in symptoms from attending the Center and to inform the Center of any significant changes in a client’s behavior pattern that may pose a threat to the safety of staff, volunteers or other members of the Center.

Where Can I Get A Referral From?