PRINTER'S NO. 1252
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
186
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY TEPLITZ, WOZNIAK, FONTANA, BREWSTER, DINNIMAN,
SCAVELLO, COSTA, BOSCOLA, AUMENT, RAFFERTY AND HUGHES,
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating September 25, 2015, as "Fairweather Lodge Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The Fairweather Lodge Program was inspired by the
work of Dr. George William "Bill" Fairweather, an innovative
psychologist and humanitarian, as an alternative to
institutional care for the mentally ill; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Fairweather's research and his book, Community
Life for the Mentally Ill: An Alternative to Institutional Care
became a milestone in the treatment of mental illness throughout
the country, resulting in the patients' rights movement in
psychiatry; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Fairweather developed the Fairweather Lodge
Program, an innovative social experiment fostering more
participatory roles in society for former psychiatric patients,
through having the patients live and work together on a more
collaborative basis and the program now exists in at least 17
states and encompasses more than 100 lodges; and
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WHEREAS, Since their creation in 1963, these programs have
helped thousands of individuals, extend throughout 14 different
states and have greatly impacted mental illness treatment all
across the country; and
WHEREAS, Numerous counties in this Commonwealth are served by
organizations patterned after the Fairweather Lodge Program,
including the counties of Allegheny, Centre, Clearfield,
Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton,
Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Perry, Venango and Westmoreland;
and
WHEREAS, The Fairweather Lodge Program will always be
remembered for providing to persons who have a mental illness
condition a sense of dignity and self-worth, by allowing them to
participate in major treatment decisions and providing
individuals with the opportunity to rejoin the community, which
has been shown to help persons recover and heal from their
ailments; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate honor the contributions of the
Fairweather Lodge Program by designating September 25, 2015, as
"Fairweather Lodge Day" in Pennsylvania in recognition of the
work of Dr. George William Fairweather and many others; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
New Visions, Inc., P.O. Box 211, Newport, PA 17074.
20150SR0186PN1252 - 2 -
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