Today's episode is the first of a 2-part series in which we will be speaking with both Charles (Chuck) Widger AND his son Clark. These episodes are slightly different than previous ones because we get a deeper insight from not only the perspective of the child, Clark, who began to experience mental illness at a young age but ALSO from the parent, Chuck, who along with Clark's mother supported him throughout the experience, and tried to do everything they could to provide their son with the best care plan possible. But it wasn't easy...

Chuck Widger, a high-profile, local philanthropist and financial guru, also shares with us how the family's experience led to the creation of Clark's Manor, a milieu-style living facility for adults with chronic mental illness. The only one of it's kind on the eastern corridor, Clark's Manor provides access to care, community, programs, and activities. They promote overall wellness, growth, and social and vocational skills. Until now, families often spent years searching for this type of care, only to land somewhere in another part of the country. This has been seen as a huge win for Philadelphia in addition to the families and individuals it supports. Chuck's hope is that everyday people can understand and realize it doesn't matter who you are, or how much money you have or don't have - you can still be impacted by mental illness.

For more information about Clark's Manor:

1. The Journey to Clark’s Manor, a four-minute documentary.
2. Clark’s Manor Program Overview, a two-minute video introduction
3. Clark’s Manor Website: https://www.elwyn.org/services/clarks-manor

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CRISIS RESOURCES:

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

Crisis Text Line: Text “NAMI” to 741-741

Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Intervention Hotline (215) 686-4420

National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Help Line (CALL OR TEXT): (800) 931-2237

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): (800) 662-HELP (4357) to get connected to help for substance use disorders.

The Trevor Project (Suicide/Crisis Support for LGBTQ+ Youth): (866) 488-7386, Text “Start” to 678-678