Gainesville Opportunity Center

Recovery through work

aka G.O.C.   |   Gainesville, FL   |  www.GoClubhouse.org

Mission

Empower adults affected with mental illness through social involvement and employment for self-directed recovery.

Notes from the nonprofit

One quarter of us will experience a mental illness. We know friends and family members who have experienced mental illness and many adults living with mental illness. The Gainesville Opportunity Center is engaged in self-directed recovery for adults living with mental illness. Using the award-winning Clubhouse Model, our Members rejoin the world of friendship, family, education, and employment.

Ruling year info

2007

Executive Director

Deidra Simon

Board Chair

Dr. Michael Conlon

Main address

1210 NW 14th Avenue

Gainesville, FL 32601 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

20-8823721

NTEE code info

Vocational Rehabilitation (includes Job Training and Employment for Disabled and Elderly) (J30)

Human Service Organizations (P20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Adults living with mental illness lose connection with friends and family. They can lose their livelihoods and their homes. They can lose their faith in themselves. They can exhaust their savings and insurance in therapy, and medical care. And through all this they are subject to the stigma of mental illness. The Gainesville Opportunity Center uses an award-winning approach validated at over 300 centers internationally, proven to help individuals with mental illness recover their lives.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Work Ordered Day

The daily activity of the GOC is organized around a structured system known as the Work Ordered Day (WOD). The WOD is an eight hour period, 8:30 am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, which parallels the typical business hours of the Gainesville community. Adults living with mental illness who voluntarily come to the GOC are called Members, and work side-by-side with staff, as colleagues to perform the work that is important to their community. All of the work in the Clubhouse is for the Clubhouse and not for any outside agency or business. There are no clinical therapies or treatment-oriented programs in the Clubhouse. During morning and afternoon meetings conducted by the Members, Members volunteer to participate as they feel ready and according to their individual interests. Tasks of the WOD support the operation of the clubhouse and are organized into work areas including culinary, janitorial, garden, and office.

Population(s) Served
Adults

The Transitional Employment (TE) Program of the GOC is unique in its ability to help adults living with mental illness get a job in Alachua County and the surrounding area. The GOC works with potential employers to identify paid positions that might be appropriate for members, and then works with the employer to define tasks and related skill requirements. GOC staff then train themselves on the job, making sure the job requirements are clear and appropriate for a GOC member. The GOC then selects and trains a member from among those interested in the job. All training of the members is done by the GOC staff. Once the member is trained, the member begins their new job. In some cases, it is the first job the member has had in many years. For some, it is their very first job. Should our member be unable to work the job on any given day, our trained staff member works the job, thus insuring perfect attendance. The employer does not have to interview or train members.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Accreditations

Clubhouse International -- 3 year unconditional accreditation 2021

Affiliations & memberships

Florida Clubhouse Coalition 2022

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    We serve adults living with mental illness in Alachua County and surrounding counties.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    Our Members prepare and serve meals to each other every day. Our existing kitchen was out of date and lacked the equipment needed to support our growth. Working with Rotary, and raising our own funds, we a re building a new kitchen, prep re, and beverage service area in our multi-purpose room.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners, Our volunteers,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    We operate a clubhouse model of self-directed recovery for adults living with mental illness. Our Members participate in all decision-making as one of the Clubhouse Internal Standards.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently,

Financials

Gainesville Opportunity Center
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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Gainesville Opportunity Center

Board of directors
as of 3/19/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Michael Conlon

Retired

Term: 2023 - 2021

Michael Conlon

Retired

Cynthia Garvan

University of Florida

Gail Childs

Retired

Mercedes Quiroga

Retired

Sandhya Chedda

Edward Jones

Taralyn De Wese-Mitchell

State of Florida

Alexis Henderson

Unaffiliated

Jodi Irving

University of Florida

Manny Quiroga

Retired

Kathleen Ryan

University of Florida

Reid Schreiber

Unaffiliated

Patricia Sokol

Retired

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes