Mental Health Services
Offering a Variety of Housing Options, Rehabilitation Programs and Employment Services to People with Mental Illness
Mental Health Services
Offering a Variety of Housing Options, Rehabilitation Programs and Employment Services to People with Mental Illness
More Than a Place to Stay
Safe and affordable housing is an essential component of recovery. Unity House’s mental health housing services are person-centered. They feature a relaxed and inviting home atmosphere in a variety of settings. Each offers professional staff providing customized, comprehensive service plans to meet each person’s needs.
Mental Health Residential Services
Unity House’s mental health residential services support and rehabilitate adults with mental illnesses in Cayuga, Tompkins, Tioga and Wayne counties. The programs are voluntary. Length of stay varies based on the resident’s preferences, needs and eligibility. We offer:
Licensed, transitional housing that includes ongoing, daily support. Fully furnished, one- and two-bedroom apartments are located throughout the city of Auburn.
Services include rehabilitative counseling and support, daily living skills development, medication monitoring and community integration. Mental health treatment residents enter the program by self-referral or referrals from a mental health provider.
Safe and affordable long-term housing for people with mental illness coupled with individual support services. Residents receive help furnishing and creating a safe, comfortable home environment.
Services include case management, assistance finding open-market housing, security deposits and housing stipends, furnishings, budgeting monthly expenses, and connections to community supports.
Emergency shelter for adults with mental illness for up to 90 days. Trained staff provide case management and 24/7 support.
Learn more about Respite Care by clicking here or email respite@unityhouse.org
If you are experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges, CORE services can help you reach your goals, manage your symptoms, and live a more fulfilling, independent life in your community.
CORE services are available at no cost to eligible adult Medicaid beneficiaries in recovery and are provided in your home or community — where you feel most comfortable.
Previously offered through Adult Behavioral Health Home and Community-Based Services, CORE services are now easier to access. You’ll work one-on-one with a Unity House peer specialist to identify your goals and take meaningful steps toward achieving them.
To be eligible for services, you must:
- Be a Medicaid beneficiary at least 21 years of age
- Be enrolled in a Medicaid Health and Recovery Plan (HARP) through the NYS Department of Health.
Services are available at no cost with a recommendation from a Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts, such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or mental health counselor. If you’re unsure about your eligibility, we’re here to help. You may also contact a behavioral health provider or NY Medicaid Choice for assistance at 1-800-505-5678.
A Place to Belong
A free, welcoming community for adults living with mental illness is coming to downtown Auburn in 2027.
Unity House will open a new program site called the Clubhouse, where members can build friendships, develop skills, explore employment and educational opportunities, and work toward their personal goals.
Based on the evidence-based Clubhouse International model, the program will emphasize each member’s strengths and abilities while creating meaningful opportunities to connect, contribute, and thrive in recovery.
A community built by its members
At the Clubhouse, participants are called members. With support from Unity House staff, they run the Clubhouse and support one another.
Membership is free and open to all local adults with a mental health diagnosis.
This is not a drop-in center. Instead, the Clubhouse follows a work-ordered day, during which members and staff share responsibility for daily operations, including preparing meals, welcoming visitors, answering phones, and planning activities.
Get involved
As we prepare to open in 2027, we welcome inquiries from community partners, prospective members, and their families.
For more information or to get involved, please contact:
Ashley Thurston
Director of Mental Health Residential Services
Ashley.Thurston@UnityHouse.org
315-253-6227, ext. 217
Ashley Thurston
Director of Mental Health Residential Services
315-253-6227 ext. 217
ashley.thurston@unityhouse.org
To be eligible for mental health
residential services, people must:
• Be diagnosed with a serious mental illness
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have a referral from Single Point of Access (SPOA)/
Single Point of Entry (SPOE)
To get started, contact one of the
referral agencies below.
Cayuga County Mental Health – SPOA Coordinator
146 North Street, Auburn, NY 13021
315-253-0341
adultSPOA@cayugacounty.us
Tompkins County Whole Health
201 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
607-274-6200
www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health/mh
Wayne County Behavioral Health Network
1519 Nye Road, Lyons, NY 14489
315-946-5722
MH-Intake@co.wayne.ny.us
For more information, call 315-253-6227 ext. 217
or email mhhousing@unityhouse.org
PROSperity Program (PROS)
Personalized Recovery Oriented Services
for People Recovering from Mental Illness
The PROSperity program in Auburn is an outpatient psychiatric rehabilitation program for adults. The program creates a healing environment so participants can learn and practice new skills, create a whole life plan, rediscover themselves as capable individuals and build strength beyond symptoms.
Employment Support
Unity Employment Services
Supporting Employment Goals and Workplace Success
Support needed to prepare for and find competitive, meaningful employment. Services include: supported employment, job placement, employment preparation and benefits advisement.