Frequently Asked Questions
Who are we and when did we start? The Castle operated by, The Friends of The Castle, is a self-help, peer support Peer Run social club for adults who experience different mental disorders. We are a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. We opened on October 11, 1993. The Castle is a safe place to come and make friends, to find someone who is experiencing the same issues and who understands the difficulties of being part of the mental health system.
How do I become a member? If interested in becoming a member you can join us for a tour of The Castle Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 pm (no appointment necessary) and bring your ID & insurance cards. When you get here we will provide you with a membership packet. After the tour, if you are interested in joining us we will setup an intake meeting. We will assess your eligibility, goals and identify which classes would make the right fit.
When are we open? The Castle is open five days a week from 10-4 M-F. A small breakfast and a hot homemade lunch is served daily.
What is a day in the life like at The Castle? A day in the life at The Castle is filled with community, support, socialization, empowerment, and healing. We start the day at 10am with a light breakfast and coffee. At 11am our class schedule begins with our assigned morning group. We take a break for lunch at Noon. Followed by afternoon groups and activities. There are daily “jobs” assigned by the "greeter" for members that are performed throughout the day, many of which are completed during the lunch hour.
There are 7 chores to be done (wash dishes, dry dishes, mop the floor, sweep the floor, take out the trash, clean the tables and counters). A member helps collects the monies for the drop-in fee and assigns chores and supervises them, and the members earn a Castle Buck for their efforts. The Castle Buck is a computer generated piece of paper worth a dollar that the members can use to pay the drop-in fee, or pay for a party or to buy something from our canteen. The canteen is operated by a member. They make change and keep track of items sold and turn in the monies at the end of each day. We also have a Daily Living Skills Program on Wednesdays where the members help clean The Castle and earn a small token of money for their efforts.
Our members want and need the same things as every other human being and have a much harder time getting them. Because it is a Peer Run Organization we have officers (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Social Director and Secretary) and pay dues. The annual dues are $12.00 renewable every July. The officers run a monthly meeting to discuss, events, monies, daily activities, fundraising and any concerns a member or staff may have. They are involved in the daily activities and upkeep of The Castle. The rules on the wall in the dining room were created by the members themselves (see the rules below); they are enforced not only by staff but by members as well. Some activities include field trips, parties, exercise class, camping, peer support groups, etc.
Do we provide transportation? We provide transportation if a member lives within our boundaries. We can be pick you up at your home and transported to and from The Castle. In the case of bad weather please call (937) 433-3931 before you come to The Castle. When Centerville and/or Dayton schools are closed or on a delay because of bad weather The Castle will also be closed. We offer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
What is our annual budget and where do we get our funding? Our annual budget is approximately $245,000; we receive less than 30% of our budget from the ADAMHS Board (Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Services) of Montgomery County. The rest of our budget is covered by donations, grants, and fundraising efforts.
How do I become a member? If interested in becoming a member you can join us for a tour of The Castle Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 pm (no appointment necessary) and bring your ID & insurance cards. When you get here we will provide you with a membership packet. After the tour, if you are interested in joining us we will setup an intake meeting. We will assess your eligibility, goals and identify which classes would make the right fit.
When are we open? The Castle is open five days a week from 10-4 M-F. A small breakfast and a hot homemade lunch is served daily.
What is a day in the life like at The Castle? A day in the life at The Castle is filled with community, support, socialization, empowerment, and healing. We start the day at 10am with a light breakfast and coffee. At 11am our class schedule begins with our assigned morning group. We take a break for lunch at Noon. Followed by afternoon groups and activities. There are daily “jobs” assigned by the "greeter" for members that are performed throughout the day, many of which are completed during the lunch hour.
There are 7 chores to be done (wash dishes, dry dishes, mop the floor, sweep the floor, take out the trash, clean the tables and counters). A member helps collects the monies for the drop-in fee and assigns chores and supervises them, and the members earn a Castle Buck for their efforts. The Castle Buck is a computer generated piece of paper worth a dollar that the members can use to pay the drop-in fee, or pay for a party or to buy something from our canteen. The canteen is operated by a member. They make change and keep track of items sold and turn in the monies at the end of each day. We also have a Daily Living Skills Program on Wednesdays where the members help clean The Castle and earn a small token of money for their efforts.
Our members want and need the same things as every other human being and have a much harder time getting them. Because it is a Peer Run Organization we have officers (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Social Director and Secretary) and pay dues. The annual dues are $12.00 renewable every July. The officers run a monthly meeting to discuss, events, monies, daily activities, fundraising and any concerns a member or staff may have. They are involved in the daily activities and upkeep of The Castle. The rules on the wall in the dining room were created by the members themselves (see the rules below); they are enforced not only by staff but by members as well. Some activities include field trips, parties, exercise class, camping, peer support groups, etc.
Do we provide transportation? We provide transportation if a member lives within our boundaries. We can be pick you up at your home and transported to and from The Castle. In the case of bad weather please call (937) 433-3931 before you come to The Castle. When Centerville and/or Dayton schools are closed or on a delay because of bad weather The Castle will also be closed. We offer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
What is our annual budget and where do we get our funding? Our annual budget is approximately $245,000; we receive less than 30% of our budget from the ADAMHS Board (Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Services) of Montgomery County. The rest of our budget is covered by donations, grants, and fundraising efforts.
What are the rules of The Castle?
The Castle Member rules:
- Report any talk or ideation of suicide or homicide immediately to a staff member
- Report any inappropriate behavior (we can handle it and help to solve the issue before it becomes a problem for the courts to handle)
- Set boundaries just like you would anywhere else (limit the personal information you share)
- Do not lend anything to the members (money, food, drinks, cigarettes, etc.)
- Respect privacy and do not ask diagnosis. Some members will offer that information on their illness, you will notice symptomatic behaviors, some hallucinations or maybe some delusional thinking
How Can I Help?
- Volunteer: talk to members, play games with members, teach a craft class, teach a wellness class, help do a puzzle and more or send volunteers our way
- Donations of food or monies for the lunch program, transportation cost, food for parties, small prizes and decorations for holidays, special events, and outings
- Save aluminum cans for us we recycle them and use the money to pay members on Cleaning Day (Wednesday Castle cleaning day)