“Clubhouses thrive best when staff and members work side by side in the operation of the Clubhouse. This allows each individual to focus on their strengths, talents, and abilities, and discover what makes them flourish.”
-Shelby Swiderski, MHAPB Director of Programs
The Clubhouse Model
The Clubhouse model is a globally recognized, community-based approach that encourages individuals to achieve amazing things.
When you enter one of our Clubhouses, you will find members–they are not known as patients or clients in our non-clinical environment–working side by side with our staff. Here, they discover their talents and abilities, building long-term relationships that support them in increasing social and vocational skills. This support is instrumental in assisting them with employment, education, and housing opportunities.
We follow the Clubhouse International model, guided by 37 standards and an evidence-based approach that has been proven to help people with mental illness recover their lives.
Our Clubhouses are centered on the belief that every member has the potential to sufficiently recover from the effects of mental illness to lead a personally satisfying life as an integrated member of society. Interested in seeing if our Fern Street Clubhouse or Glades Clubhouse is the right fit for you or a loved one? Contact us to schedule a tour.
The Work-Ordered Day
The Foundation of the Clubhouse Model
For our members, maintaining a routine is essential to creating a sense of support and normalcy, which helps enhance their coping skills. By supporting the needs of MHA in partnership with our staff, members carry out a day at the Clubhouse much like a daily job. They complete daily activities such as preparing lunches, data entry, producing videos in our media center, maintaining the Clubhouse, and assuming responsibility for attendance, billing, and statistical information. During their time here, members build skills, relationships, and confidence in their own capabilities.
Participating in the Work-Ordered Day restores structure and purpose in members’ lives. This sense of purpose is essential to the well-being of our members, making the Work-Ordered Day the operational foundation of the Clubhouse Model.
Once members have fully immersed themselves in the Work-Ordered Day and are motivated with their newfound confidence, they are in a great place to start participating in the many other opportunities that MHAPB has to offer.
Other Member Opportunities
