[liberationtech] Budgeting & concerns for computers at a peer respite

[Douglas Lucas]

Hi Libtech,

Here in Seattle I'm part of the Community Peer Respite Planning Council,
which recently had a letter to the editor published[1] in the Seattle Times.

A peer respite[2] is an unlocked building that serves as a diversion
from psychiatric hospital for people in or approaching crisis. Rather
than being staffed by clinicians, such a respite is staffed by peers,
people with personal experience overcoming mental health challenges.
Picture a typically government-funded, chilled-out bed and breakfast
with wellness activities, where guests can stay overnight for about a
week, and you've got the right idea. There are multiple of these peer
respites already existing across the United States.

At each of our hopefully forthcoming peer respite(s) in Seattle, we'd
like to include (probably) 2-3 computers for guests to use (likely for
something like 30 minutes or an hour at a time). Can anyone point to
information about a) how to best budget for hardware and software at a
resource like this, such as using Ubuntu to save money, and b) other
practical things we might want to consider, such as whether it's a good
idea or not to keep the network for staff separate from the network for
guests.

We're on a bit of a fast track now trying to get a budget put together,
so prompt replies would be most helpful!

Thanks much,

Doug

[1]
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/mental-health-respite-programs/

[2] http://www.peerrespite.net/