The management and operation of Grace House is a co-operative enterprise that involves skilled professionals, members of the community, and the residents themselves. The ongoing financial stability of Grace House is maintained by drawing upon a number of diversified funding sources.
Grace House is a non-profit charitable corporation that is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors composed of volunteers from the community. Board membership is open to all interested, committed adult members of the community and the term of service is one year (with no restrictions upon the number of terms which may be served by any member). At present, the majority of Directors have a background in the mental health field and all live in the Halton area.
Grace House is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This coverage is provided by three full-time staff positions (shared by four people) plus nine part-time staff members resulting in a total of 5.2 FTE (full-time equivalent) positions. All current full-time staff have been with Grace House since at least 1992; the current Executive Director has been a Grace House employee since 1979. At a minimum, staff members are graduates of a Social Service Worker program at a Community College.
When appropriate, community volunteers assist with the Grace House program, some in maintenance and some in direct service. Great care is taken to ensure that all direct service volunteers are highly qualified and receive intensive training and close supervision.
All Grace House residents take turns in fulfilling the requirements of residential upkeep, which includes regular cooking and cleaning responsibilities. These activities are geared to maximizing their chances for success in a future independent living situation.
Funding for Grace House is provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, by the United Ways of Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills, by residents' geared-to-income room and board payments, and by donations from individuals and corporations.