Friendships Unlimited provides Waukesha County residents who are at least 18 years old and have a primary diagnosis of a major mental illness with an opportunity to meet others who can relate on common ground for support, socialization and growth. This program of St. Aemilian-Lakeside and the Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services is free, voluntary and member-driven.
Members may participate in shaping the program’s rules and guidelines and offer suggestions and feedback at quarterly house meetings. Members come when they wish, become involved in activities suiting their interests and participate at their own pace. Recovery is about finding the road to a satisfying and hopeful life and building a system that enhances and supports it.
Membership benefits:
- Educational groups to learn effective ways to enhance recovery.
- Recreation and social activities, such as planned monthly activities and outings, learning to surf the Internet, and holiday parties and a birthday club.
- A safe place to visit, in a drug-free, caring atmosphere where members can be themselves and receive support from staff and members in a time of crisis.
- Peer support with a specialist who is in recovery, understands on a personal basis what members are experiencing, and has been through extensive training. Peer support specialists listen, provide empathy and help empower members to find their own solutions. They also are aware of and can help members connect with services provided in Waukesha.
Location and hours:
336 Wisconsin Ave. (across the street from Cutler Park)
Waukesha, WI, 53186
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9 a.m. -5 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m. -8 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday: 1-5 p.m.
(closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day)
For more information or to schedule a visit, contact:
Linda Cole, program coordinator
lcole@st-al.org
Facts about mental illness.
