GREAT FALLS — Jeremiah Vannmanen loves painting landscapes and bowls of fruit in the impressionist style. He dreams of one day studying electrical engineering. But for now, Jeremiah - like many others in Montana - needs a little extra support navigating life.
WATCH:
"I paint, play video games. I also have my own easel for painting," Jeremiah said.
For adults like Jeremiah, adult foster care offers the kind of family support and life skills development traditionally reserved for youth, but adapted for an older demographic. Empowered Living Solutions (ELS), a provider based in Montana, is helping bridge this critical gap.
"So the state hospital, for example, Warm Springs, they tend to have anywhere from 7 to 15 people who are at risk of being homeless that have severely disabling mental illnesses," said Uryah Babineau, co-owner of ELS. "We have a relationship with the state hospital where when they have people who they're discharging, they let us know."
The demand for supportive housing is high. Hundreds of people in the community qualify for services, but there simply aren't enough homes available yet.
"As fast as we can open homes, we are trying to pull people off the street," said Alexa Tewalt, Co-Owner of ELS.
Funding typically comes through a Medicare waiver, but approvals can take months.
"It does happen. We have some residents who we applied and about three months later, like clockwork, they got through," Babineau explained. "But the reality is most of our residents take upwards of six to nine months to become billable."
Tewalt added, "We could easily be operating six to eight houses right now if we didn't have 50% of our clients unavailable."
To match residents with appropriate housing, ELS evaluates individuals based on their Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores. Those with higher scores may eventually be able to transition to independent living.
"I was living on my own. I didn't succeed, sadly," said resident Michael Fife.
ELS's approach focuses on fostering growth and independence, with the goal of residents one day moving out on their own.
"We try to engage with the residents in a way that is facilitating of their growth," Babineau said.
In addition to medication management and therapy, residents benefit from a supportive environment.
"I get my medications. I go to Green Apple for therapy. I got a new psychiatrist too," Jeremiah shared.
Unlike traditional models, ELS does not operate its own facilities. Instead, it leases properties and trains providers in CPR, first aid, and medication administration — allowing rapid expansion to meet the need for housing.
"Our living providers are trained on CPR, first aid, and medication passing," Tewalt said.
Residents describe the experience positively.
"It's pretty nice over here," Jeremiah said. "We're treated very well. We're fed good food."
Michael agreed, adding, "It's nothing negative being here. It's all positive. They try to understand you and listen to you."
Jeremiah added, "They're not condescending at all. They don't treat us like children. They treat us like adults."
Ultimately, ELS’s mission is clear: to keep people housed, not send them back to the streets.
"We're in the business of housing people and not putting them back on the streets," Tewalt said.
