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FAQs

Where is Caramore located?

Our home office and our residences are in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro area of central North Carolina. We are geographically situated in the area known as "The Triangle" which encompasses Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.
The University of North Carolina has its most renown campus in Chapel Hill, and Duke University and NC State are only 30 minutes or so away.
Excellent mental health care, free public transportation, and the availability of employment opportunities are all key elements central to our location

What Kind of Residence will I be living in?

Caramore operates two group homes that can accommodate five residents in each home, as well as a live in supervisor. Our homes are comfortable and inviting environments that we are very proud of. We also lease five two-bedroom apartments (see side photos) that can accommodate up to ten residents. Generally, our clients initially live in either of our group homes, and then move into our supervised apartments when they have the stability and skills to meet the challenges for that style of living.
We also have long term apartment leases that we offer to some residents under our Tier 3 program. These long term leases are options for clients who meet certain eligibility requirements we have and who have chosen to reside in this area for an extended period of time

How Many Clients are in the Caramore program?

We typically have ten residents in our group homes, 10 residents in our apartments, and 20-30 residents receiving our services in extended lease apartments

Is there any cost for being enrolled at Caramore?

No, there is not. However, all of our residents pay rent from wages that they earn working on one of our own work sites or through a community job that they are working at.

How can I pay any rent if I can't work?

All of our clients begin working as soon as they enter our program. The work sites are specifically designed to help our clients develop the skills they will need to help them eventually secure a job of their choice. We ask all of our residents to "apply themselves as best they can" when they initially enter Caramore, and our residents adapt and progress with job skills at their personal pace. Caramore aims to set the bar reasonably high for all of our clients, as a means to help the development of the tools that our clients will need to hold down jobs in the community.

Is Everyone Treated the Same at Caramore?

Good question. The answer is yes ... and no. Everyone is treated fairly at Caramore, no doubt about that. However, the very nature and spectrum of mental illness is evidenced in the vast array of skills, temperaments, personalities, behavioral problems, symptoms, etc that our clients bring with them. We try to tailor our program so that it can accommodate every individual who enters Caramore. We don't offer "special treatment" to individuals, but we do offer "personalized treatment"
Our expectations, however, from everyone are the same --- All Caramore participants are expected to, and required to, "do the best they can"

What Will I be Doing at Caramore?

You will start out by living in one of the residential homes, and working six hours per day on either our Cleaning Crew or our Landscaping Crew. Our aim is to get all of our clients in a normalized routine of structuring their workday so they can get up on their own, attend to personal hygiene, prepare meals, get to their place of work, and work for six hours a day with fellow clients and a supervisor who will be their support and guidance.
Afternoons and evenings will center around meal prep, house chores, social opportunities, medical appointments or therapy, and residential skill training. Monitoring medications and the development of a understanding and routine for taking one's medication are areas that are referred to often.

Do I have to live in a Caramore Residence? What if I already have good housing arrangements in the vicinity?

We have some clients who already have established good local residences in our community. Those clients receive services that do not include residential treatment. However, we are careful to assess the circumstances and situations that are in place, to be sure that the overall plan is productive and beneficial for the individual.
Our own residences are designed to provide safe and positive environments for our clients ... we try to steer our clients clear of any residential environment that will exacerbate illness symptoms or be counter-productive to other aspects of rehabilitation.

Who is eligible to receive Caramore Services?

In general, Caramore is available to adult residents of North Carolina, 18 years or older, who have a certified medical diagnosis of being Severely and Persistently Mentally Ill (SPMI)
SPMI diagnosis is a term referring to medical terminology regarding Axis I or Axis II conditions indicating that a person has severe mental illness
Other criteria also apply in regard to a person's "suitability" for Caramore. Those criteria can be found in more detail on the Who is Eligible for Caramore section on our home web page

Are most of the Caramore clients men or women?

Caramore is made up of men and women, from 18 years of age and on up. Currently we have both men and women in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's. At times we may have more older clients, and at other times the enrollment might be leaning towards the younger participants. Most of our clients feel comfortable in the program and there is enough diversity and flexibility that all feel welcome and accepted.

How Long does the Caramore Program last?

This is perhaps the most challenging question to answer, since all of our clients have different needs, talents, desires, etc. People move and progress at different rates, depending on the illness, medications, personal factors, etc. What might come easily for one, could be extremely difficult for another. And vice versa.
We generally advise all Caramore participants to plan on dedicating a full year or more towards Caramore and the variety of services we make available.
That year should include getting stabilized, establishing a continuous work routine, developing and honing good personal and work-related habits, sticking to a savings plan, finding a satisfying job, and consistently carrying out a personalized plan towards success.
In our experience, all of those goals take some time. There are no easy shortcuts, nor do we encourage clients to "race towards" a perceived goal line. For years, we have seen that clients who are patient with their progress, realistic in their goals, and determined to live and work independently, have had the best and longest lasting results.

What is Tier 3?

Tier 3 is an optional extension of the Caramore Program, available to certain/select clients who have been: In our program for at least six months or more, are successfully working at community jobs, are stable with mental health and medications, are willing to stay away from illegal substances, and who desire to sign on for a year's sublease in a Caramore apartment.

There is personalized support and supervision-as-needed in our Tier 3 apartments. It is designed to be a stable and supportive environment for Caramore clients who have demonstrated they are capable and responsible to maintain their finances, work consistently, and conduct themselves appropriately in the Caramore Community. Staff is always available to Tier 3 clients for consultations, problem solving, advice, friendship, job counselling, and whatever else might come along.

We only offer Tier 3 leases to clients who meet the above criteria. It is not for everyone, and we conceived Tier 3 because we realized that many of our clients desired longer period of support, might be unable to get leases on their own (due to prior legal or credit issues), or simply enjoyed maintaining close contact with the staff and clients of Caramore.

Several clients from our Tier 3 program have become employees of Caramore and act as mentors and positive role models for our more recent participants. Tier 3 is a concept that we are all quite proud of, as it helps to keep people working on their own over a long period of time and keeps people on track towards their goals.

check out the latest development in Tier 3

maps to Home Office, Fountain Ridge Home, Ephesus Home, Carolina Apartments, University Commons, Chambers Ridge