The Living Miracles - Healing And Hope Across The Way

The Living Miracles, a peer support and empowerment center, is a neighbor to Lakewood you may not know about. A service for mentally ill folks run completely by other mental health consumers (thus the term “peer support”), it is located at 1581 W. 117th Street (just north of Madison Avenue across from Aldi’s).

Living Miracles grew out of a support group at the Bridgeway, Inc. crisis shelter in 1999. It moved to its present location in 2006, separating from Bridgeway under director Jennifer Kruse in 2009. Now an independent non-profit organization, it is funded by the ADAMHS Board (the Alcohol and Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board in Cuyahoga County) and by several grants, including Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare, a local psychiatric hospital where the Living Miracles provide weekly peer support and mentoring services.

The group meets Monday thru Friday from 1:00 to 5:15 p.m. for mutual support, education and fun. Members learn how to handle symptoms, manage anger and better their relationship skills.  There is a dual-recovery (mental illness plus addiction) group that meets on Wednesday afternoons and various other activities – games, off-site trips, and talent night. Each day ends with Peer Support group, an hour-long discussion during which friends support each other in their trials and in achieving their goals. Programs at the Living Miracles are free and open to anyone wishing to practice recovery from mental illness.

Those who would like to join the Living Miracles are invited to come on Mondays from 1-4 p.m. for an orientation. Call ahead at 216-221-6323.