During the Clubhouse Week of Action, Clubhouses across the US are opening their doors to elected officials, community leaders, and local media members to show them why the Clubhouse Model works, and to tell them why we need policies supporting psychosocial rehabilitation and funding for mental health resources. This year, the Clubhouse Week of Action will be May 28-31, coinciding with congressional recess.

Clubhouses are community-based nonprofits that empower people impacted by serious mental illness to take control of their recovery and thrive through access to opportunities for employment, socialization, education, skill development, housing and improved wellness. Everything at the Clubhouse is free and voluntary, centering people’s dignity, agency, and choice as an essential part of their health and wellbeing.

By seeing people as more than their illness and building essential relationships and trust, Clubhouses have proven to reduce psychiatric crises and hospitalizations while also increasing the likelihood that members will be employed, stably housed, and able to further their education. All of this saves lives, while saving taxpayers an enormous amount of money, and is a model that should be scaled to help more people in need.

From May 28-31, during Mental Health Awareness Month, 36 Clubhouses in more than 18 states and the District of Columbia have committed to take action, including:

• Clubhouse Atlanta in Georgia will be hosting an open house featuring keynote speaker state Senator Sally Harrell.

• Fountain House in New York will be bringing a group of members and staff to Albany to meet with state representatives and speak on the benefits of the Clubhouse Model.

• Hale ‘Oluea Clubhouse in Hilo, Hawaii, will be teaming up with local business Two Ladies Kitchen to sell a special mochi box helping spread awareness about clubhouses in their community.

• New Horizons Clubhouse in Rapid City, Michigan, will be having a “Coffee at the Clubhouse” open house event, inviting the community to come learn more about serious mental illness and what recovery can look like.

Together, the participating Clubhouses and their members represent a cross section of the country, capturing people both from urban and rural communities and across the political spectrum. It’s a reminder that mental health has become a leading bipartisan issue and offers immense opportunity to invest in the evidence-based, community-centered solutions, such as Clubhouses, that can make a difference.

Healing Minds, Powering Communities is made possible through the collaboration and coordination of our incredible partners:

To become a partner please contact us at poweringcommunities@fountainhouse.org.

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