Soteria House

Soteria House is a Therapeutic Community Residence for the prevention of hospitalization for individuals experiencing a distressing extreme state, commonly referred to as psychosis. We believe that psychosis can be a temporary experience that one works through rather than a chronic mental illness that needs to be managed. We practice the approach of “being with” – this is a process of actively staying present with people and learning about their experiences.

Soteria House Provides

• A safe, non-restrictive, home-like environment.
• Flexible, non-judgmental, person-centered services.
• Specialized, interpersonally-driven support
• 24-hour staffing
• Coordination with community services providers and other resources, such as housing, education and employment assistance
• Six months of aftercare support
• Optional psychiatric consultation

Creating Alternatives in the System of Care

The predominant treatment available for initial experiences of non-consensus reality entails the prescription of antipsychotic medications and inpatient hospitalization. However, a significant portion of individuals going through the experience are not interested in this form of treatment and alternative forms of care are not readily accessible, especially to those with limited resources. Soteria offers an alternative approach by providing person-centered adaptive care.

Cost Comparison

Soteria is remarkably cost effective compared to inpatient hospitalization. The comparative nightly costs per individual range from:

• $2,625 at the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital
• $547* at Soteria

*Soteria services are funded by the Department of Mental Health and provided at no cost to Vermont residents. Room and board charges are assessed based on a resident’s income.