Welcome!
We're thrilled that you're exploring who we are and what we're all about. We hope this introduction gives you the insight you need to join the Rx 4 Wholeness community and become part of the movement to transform mental and emotional health care in America and around the world.
Rx 4 Wholeness is an initiative of His Will Homes, a parent organization that has spent the last 12 years searching for better ways to house and support some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society—those who have very little money and suffer from mental illness. These dual challenges often leave them on the streets, in jails, or in substandard housing with little to no real support or care. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 people—approximately 52 million individuals—experience mental illness. However, many believe this number is significantly underestimated, as stigma prevents many from reporting their struggles. Around 20 percent of those who do report their struggles suffer from severe mental illness, equating to about 10 million people who are in the greatest need of assistance.
Our research and surveys have shown that many individuals, whether they report their struggles or not, long for a community where they can share their heartaches, successes, questions, and lives with others in a safe, secure, and supportive environment. They want to make and enjoy meaningful, healthy connections. We also know that as human beings, we are designed to live in community. In community, we learn, grow, heal, and share each other’s burdens. The Rx 4 Wholeness app and community were developed by His Will Homes to meet these pressing needs while also addressing the deep need for housing and supportive care.
The Rx 4 Wholeness community and everything that takes place on the app help us achieve these goals. By joining the platform, whether as a caregiver, someone struggling with mental and emotional health, or an advocate, you are helping us reach our goal of providing homes while also receiving support yourself. You don't have to spend a dime (though we hope you will, as we offer outstanding training, merchandise, and resources), but simply by participating in the community—engaging in conversations, sharing thoughts, ideas, and concerns—you help generate advertising and sponsorship revenue. The money we receive from advertisers and sponsors goes towards sustaining the platform, keeping it state-of-the-art, and hopefully allowing it to remain free. Additionally, these funds will be used to build, rehabilitate, and sustain residential care facilities with wraparound care for those who need it most, always keeping in mind the needs of our Rx 4 Wholeness members. Essentially, it's a “Pay it Forward” concept: the more you engage on the platform—whether through training, journaling, conversing, or sharing the app with friends—the more you contribute to the success of Rx 4 Wholeness and the transformation of the mental and emotional health system.
Rx 4 Wholeness is not a replacement for professional, licensed care; rather, it's a supplemental support system to enhance everything else you may be doing to improve or maintain your mental and emotional health. It’s a valuable tool to add to your toolbox, alongside your psychiatrist, therapist, family, friends, medication, and other resources. Rx 4 Wholeness can be a lifeline while you wait for an appointment with a professional caregiver or the medication you need. It can help maintain and improve your health once you receive professional help, or even proactively keep you from needing it. The platform is designed to help you overcome barriers to mental and emotional health.
We’ve identified five key barriers that hinder individuals struggling with mental or emotional health, which we refer to as S.H.A.C.K.:
- Stigma: Both internal and external, harmful, and shameful.
- Housing: Scarce and often deplorable.
- Aloneness: Leading to disconnection, isolation, and sometimes fatal outcomes.
- Care: Inadequate, not person-centered, and lacking patient engagement.
- Knowledge: Misinformation and confusion that cause individuals to suffer in silence and go untreated.
These barriers are difficult to overcome, multifaceted, and exacerbated by isolation. However, our online community and platform, Rx 4 Wholeness, is designed to make an immediate impact on four of these five barriers: stigma, aloneness, care, and knowledge. The largest and most challenging barrier to address is the shortage of safe, dignified, and affordable housing. By joining and engaging with Rx 4 Wholeness, you can help us eliminate this fifth barrier as well.
We invite you to join our community, participate, engage, and make connections. Go through the Rx 4 Wholeness training program and add it to your mental and emotional health toolbox. It can be a valuable resource for you, your family, and friends, and in doing so, you can make a significant impact on helping those who can’t help themselves.
We look forward to having you with us!