Clubhouse International

We envision a world where people with mental illness recover and are an integral part of society. That vision will require a Clubhouse in every community, dedicated private and public funding, and most critically, ending the social and economic stigma and isolation experienced by people with mental illness.

2020 was a challenging year. But Clubhouse has a remarkable story in 2020, in particular – one about the amazing dedication and resiliency of members and staff during the pandemic.

The Clubhouse International community not only met the immediate challenges of the pandemic but has excelled at adjusting services to remote and mobile formats.

As a result, Clubhouse programs are helping members remain connected to their support systems. New routines include daily check-ins through Zoom, Facebook and telephone; meal delivery; and small, safely distanced gatherings in local parks. Clubhouses are taking the approach of connecting with every member, every day.

In fact, many Clubhouses are seeing an increase in the number of active members.

At Clubhouse International, we have been in constant communication with more than 300 Clubhouses, providing critical information exchange about evolving best-practices and helping all Clubhouses make necessary changes because of the pandemic.

We have provided weekly tips and strategies about virtual Clubhouse programming, an interactive webinar series as well as a virtual conference attended by more than 1,100 people, as part of our comprehensive effort to keep our network informed and more closely connected than ever before.

“Thanks to the incredible networking and connecting that Clubhouse International is doing across the clubhouse community, the impact of the coronavirus will be lessened for us, at least for the near future.” ~ Lisa Brennan, Executive Director, Genesis Club, MA, USA

In fact, despite the health and financial challenges of a pandemic, we added 14 new Clubhouses to our global network in 2020.

With new Clubhouses in Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana, Oregon, Mexico and Norway we are reaching more and more people who need access to recovery opportunities and life-saving services. We are also working with groups in more than 50 additional communities around the world to start their own Clubhouses.

Our strategic priorities fall into five mission-critical categories:

Expansion: accelerate the growth of Clubhouses so that more people with mental illness in more communities around the world can find and receive the help and support they so desperately need.

Quality: through Training and Accreditation, ensure the continued consistency and quality of the Clubhouse experience for members, no matter where they are.

Public Awareness: be a leading voice helping to end the stigma surrounding mental illness, and promote the cause of Clubhouse around the world.

Government Advocacy: promote public support and funding for the Clubhouse model around the world, and for mental health services in general.

Fundraising: Increase our fundraising capacity to make all other strategic priorities possible.

Clubhouse International carries out its mission using a small paid staff and approximately 250 volunteers from member Clubhouses and interested mental health advocates across the world. Our work is accomplished through a coordinated set of Working Groups as described below. All of the Working Groups are comprised of colleagues - members and staff from member Clubhouses - whose time is given pro-bono by their organization in support of our mission and work.

Working Groups:

Board of Directors: The governing body of Clubhouse International, is comprised of board members from Clubhouses around the world; prominent members of the world community who believe deeply in our mission and can contribute to its support; Clubhouse members.

Clubhouse Advisory Council: Dedicated members and staff from strong and Accredited Clubhouses around the world. The Council is responsible for advising, supporting and providing perspective to the Board of Directors and the Clubhouse International staff.

Faculty for Clubhouse Development: The faculty is comprised of colleagues from a broad base of Accredited Clubhouses internationally. They conduct Accreditation visits and assessments, and are responsible for the formal quality assurance and improvement of the Clubhouse Accreditation process.

Training Base Group: Authorized Clubhouse International Training Bases are located in the US (New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Missouri and Utah); Ontario, Canada; London, England; Helsinki, Finland; Oslo, Norway; Seoul, South Korea; Hong Kong; and Queensland, Australia. The Training Base Group is responsible for providing consistent training in the Clubhouse model to members , staff and board members from around the world.

Board of Advisors: The purpose of the Board of Advisors is to assist and advise the Corporation with respect to matters that may affect the Corporation's achievement of its mission to promote and facilitate the rehabilitation of people with mental illness through the Clubhouse program. This would involve drawing on expertise form various disciplines, including, but not limited to, science and research in mental

Program for Clubhouse Research: The Program for Clubhouse Research (PCR) is an affiliation between the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and Clubhouse International. The Program for Clubhouse Research coordinates, promotes, and conducts Clubhouse research projects that are congruent with Clubhouse philosophy. In addition, it evaluates the effectiveness of Clubhouses and/or describes the services that Clubhouses provide for their members. The Program for Clubhouse Research also acts as a clearinghouse for Clubhouse research with the capacity to provide effective communication, dissemination of information and assistance to Clubhouses and researchers considering participation in Clubhouse research projects.

Although we celebrate our 25th year in 2019-2020, we are reminded that while we have made a great deal of progress in expanding the Clubhouse network, much work remains to be done. The achievements of the three-year period of 2015-2018, however, were instrumental to future growth ahead:

• 488 groups trained (more than 28% increase over the goal of 380)
• 57 new Clubhouses (nearly double the initial goal of 30)
• More than 1,200 registrants trained in three separate seminar events
• 234 Accreditation Visits (an increase of 56% over the initial goal of 150)
• 223 Accredited Clubhouses (more than 10% above the goal of 200)
• 108 trained Faculty

The model itself has proven effective in a number of measures:
• Employment, with longer on-the-job tenure for members engaging in Clubhouse Transitional Employment 1
• Cost effective, compared to other mental healthcare approaches (The cost of Clubhouses estimated to be one-third of the cost of the IPS model; about half the annual costs of Community Mental Health Centers; and substantially less than the ACT model.) 2
• A significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations, as a result of membership in a Clubhouse program. 3
• Reduced incarcerations, with criminal justice system involvement substantially diminished during and after Clubhouse psychosocial program membership. 4
• Improved Well-Being compared with individuals receiving psychiatric services without Clubhouse membership. Clubhouse members were significantly more likely to report that they had close friendships and someone they could rely on when they needed help. 5
• A recent study suggests that service systems should prioritize services that offer ongoing social supports like Clubhouses, as they enhance mental and physical health by reducing disconnectedness. 6

¹Sources: ¹ Macias, Kinney and Rodican (1995). ² McKay, Yates, and Johnsen (2005); IPS model reported by Clark et al (1998); ACT model reported by Macias et al (2001). ³ De Masso, Avi-Itzak and Obler (2001). 4 Johnson and Hickey (1999). 5 Warner, Huxley and Berg (1999). 6 Leff and colleagues (2004).

Clubhouse International (ICCD Clubhouses) are included in the USA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices. Clubhouse International is a co-recipient of the 2014 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, given to an international non-profit organizations making substantial progress in alleviating human suffering.

WHAT'S NEXT

We continue to evolve the Standards of Accreditation as the needs of the membership and developing best practice evolve, including necessary COVID-19 pandemic modifications. We're looking at ways to leverage technology in supporting faculty and Clubhouse members to achieve economies of scale; of utmost importance is retaining the level of quality in our training.