Woodley House

Woodley House was founded in 1958 by Joan Doniger as an alternative to long-term hospitalization for adults in the District of Columbia struggling with mental health disorders. At the time, many adults with less-severe issues had no alternative options to institutional care. While working as an occupational therapist at St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital, Joan saw how these patients were poorly served by long-term hospitalization, which hindered community reintegration and was not conducive to recovery. Since this beginning, Woodley House has remained at the forefront of innovative, supportive housing with our continuum of care for adults with mental illness working toward recovery and greater independence. Tackling unmet needs head-on, Woodley House provides a welcoming home for those who have been directly affected by the longstanding structural racism and disparities inherent in both the housing market and the availability of mental health services. We’re proud of our legacy as a trailblazer in changing how the District of Columbia serves residents facing mental illness: we introduced DC’s first halfway home for the mentally ill, first community-based crisis home, first supported apartment program, and first food pantry west of Rock Creek Park. Each of these advancements came from us responding to the needs of our community and listening to our residents. Today, Woodley House remains committed to empowering our residents—on an individual basis—to achieve productive, healthy, independent living. Our continuum of support includes crisis stabilization for individuals experiencing acute psychiatric episodes; mental health community residence facilities with 24-hour supervision and a high level of care; supported independent living for individuals who can live self-sufficiently while still benefiting from life skills training and other support services; and permanent supportive housing for individuals and families at risk of chronic homelessness.