What exactly is a Clubhouse?

  • A Clubhouse is first and foremost a community of people.

  • A Clubhouse community is intentionally organized to support individuals living with the effects of mental illness—these persons are members, not clients.

  • A Clubhouse is a restorative environment for members who have had their lives drastically disrupted, and need the support of others who believe that recovery from mental illness is possible for all.

  • A place where people with serious mental illness participate in their own recovery process by working and socializing together in a safe and welcoming environment.

  • An organization that operates on proven standards developed by the Clubhouse International over 6 decades and effective in over 300 Clubhouses worldwide.

  • A community-based approach that complements available psychiatric treatment (the program is included in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices [NREPP]).