ABOUT THE CLUBHOUSE

Clubhouses are built on the belief that every member has the potential to sufficiently recover from the effects of mental illness and lead a personally satisfying life as an integrated member of society.

The Clubhouse will match your skills with a job in the community, where you will earn a competitive wage and gain valuable employment experience.

Clubhouses are "dedicated to the personal recovery of individuals with mental illness by providing them with opportunities to live, work, and learn while contributing their talents through a community of mutual support."

HISTORY OF THE CLUBHOUSE

In 1943, the Clubhouse Model was formed as a support group by six individuals discharged from Rockland Psychiatric Center in New York. We Are Not Alone, or WANA, was the first peer-led support group. In 1948, a benefactor couple purchased a building in which WANA could hold meetings. Because the building had a fountain in the front, the building was named Fountain House. Fountain House is a model for more than 300 Clubhouse programs around the world.

THE CLUBHOUSE MODEL

The Clubhouse Model is widely used in the United States as well as internationally. As participants in a clubhouse, you are called a member, not client or patient. The focus is on your strengths and goals, not on mental illness.

 

Work in the Clubhouse consists of an array of choices. Whether it is making lunch in the Culinary Unit, inputting data in the Membership Unit, or doing outreach calls to members we have not seen in long time, this work provides needed healing on the road to recovery.

 

After about six months of volunteering in these units, you will earn experience in a wide variety of areas, strengthen your personal skills, and gain the confidence needed to be successfully placed in a “transitional employment” position supported by the Clubhouse.

 

The Clubhouse staff will identify your strengths, match your skills with the needs of an employer in the community, and then train you for that position. You will earn a competitive salary for up to 20 hours of part-time work each week. This will lay the foundation for you to move on to permanent supported/independent employment.

CLUBHOUSE WORK UNITS

The Clubhouse operates using Work Units where members can choose to utilize their skills or learn new ones. The Clubhouse offers three work units as part of its Work-Ordered Day: The daily activity of our Clubhouse is organized around a structured system known as the Work Ordered Day. The WOD is an eight hour period, typically Monday through Friday, which parallels a typical business day. Members work side by side with, as colleagues to perform important Clubhouse work. The eight dimensions of wellness are also included throughout the day to help establish a healthy work-life balance.

Membership | Culinary

This unit is the foundation of our Work Ordered Day. Responsibilities are focused on office-related, receptionist, and clerical services, as well as being the "Welcome Wagon" for potential members. In this unit, staff, working with members, assist in planning our daily schedule, answering phones, and facilitating tours for potential members. This unit also contains the kitchen and culinary services. The tasks for the Membership unit include:

  • Reach out

  • Outreach

  • Meeting and Greeting Colleagues and Visitors

  • Podcast - for absent members about Clubhouse Updates

  • Podcast - for discussions and tips by the members about living with mental health conditions

  • Scheduling and Conducting Tours

  • Scheduling and Conducting Orientations

  • Answering the phones and taking messages

  • Unit meeting twice weekly

  • Policy meetings twice monthly

  • Transportation Classes

  • Creating a more eco-friendly environment discussions quarterly

  • Prepare/Serve Breakfast

  • Prepare/Serve Lunch

  • Wash/Put Away Breakfast Dishes

  • Wash/Put Away Lunch Dishes

  • Inventory - once weekly

  • Rotate Stock - weekly

  • Label non-perishable and perishable food items

  • Plan menu for the week

  • Plan menu for special events, employer dinners, and employed member recognition dinners

  • Clean/Defrost Fridge

  • Clean/Defrost Freezer

  • Snack Bar Inventory - weekly

  • Reconciliation of lunch money and snack bar money

  • Sweep and Mop the floors - daily

  • Disinfect the countertops before breakfast and lunch

  • Check the burn kit and emergency kit for expired materials monthly (Last Wednesday of the month_

  • Grocery shopping - once weekly (Fridays)

  • Bake and sell baked goods - daily

  • Prepare for next day’s meals in the afternoons

  • Cooking Healthy Series - every Monday 3-3:45 PM

 

Administrative | Education

The Administration and Education unit includes responsibilities such as filing and data tracking, as well as enrichment classes and activities for the Clubhouse. Tasks include:

  • Filing

  • Creating new member records

  • Shredding

  • Creating Content for the Newsletter - Tuesdays 1-2 PM

  • Donor calls - weekly

  • Enrichment classes - Friday 3-4 PM

  • Social Media Posts - Twice Weekly

  • Replenishing Brochures and Flyers

  • Community Presentations with members - twice weekly 11:30 AM to 12 Noon

  • Review of Member Records

  • GED Tutoring

  • College visits with members to see counselors for updates - arrange accommodations if needed

  • Mindfulness Tuesdays 2-2:30 PM

  • Writing Club Tuesdays 3-4 PM

  • Exercise Class Wednesdays 2-3 PM

  • Financial Literacy

  • Receipt Reconciliation

  • Computer Skills

 Employment

The goal of our employment program is to support member’s efforts to improve their financial well-being through employment and, when possible, become economically self-sufficient. Tasks and resources include:

  • Job Club

  • Visiting employed members on the job

  • Resume writing

  • Mock interviews

  • Job searches

  • Job fairs

  • Connecting members to community resources

  • Developing and fostering professional relationships with employers

  • Conducts work site visits to employers to ensure successful member placement

  • Potential participation in the interview process

  • Assist members in developing career and/or employment goals

  • Matches job seeking member and employers

  • Mediates or problem solves member/employer issues

  • Makes presentations to businesses within the community to promote employment service programs and develops new jobs for members

  • Contact with transitional employers

Within the Clubhouse there are four levels of employment:

A. Transitional Employment (TE)

Clubhouse staff train and support individual members at the employment site. Members work part-time (12 to 20 hours per week) for six to nine months and are paid by the employer. At the site, members learn different vocational skills while building the confidence to pursue competitive employment. Transitional employment helps members put into practice skills they have developed through the worked-ordered day. Transitional Employment helps members to build their resumes and facilitate their search for competitive work.

B. Clubhouse Supported Employment (SE)

Research shows that supported employment is a cost-effective and cost-saving intervention because it decreases psychiatric hospitals' use and overall mental health spending.

Members build upon the skills developed in the previous levels to seek, secure, and keep competitive part-time and full-time employment. Staff provides direct and indirect support to assist members in retaining or changing jobs as requested.

C. Independent Employment (IE)

Members continue to build upon the skills they developed in the previous levels of employment to apply and obtain competitive employment on their own.

The member remains a member of the Clubhouse, even when not receiving direct job support.

D. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment

Footprint to Success Clubhouse is the only Clubhouse in Florida with two supported employment programs for individuals living with severe mental illness. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based program that began at the Clubhouse in 2016. The program model was developed by Robert Drake and Deborah Becker at the New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center in 1993.

The eight principles of the IPS program are:

  • Open to anyone who wants to work

  • Focus on competitive employment

  • Rapid job search

  • Targeted job development

  • Client preferences guide decisions

  • Individualized long-term supports

  • Integrated with treatment

  • Benefits counseling included

IPS employment specialists meet weekly with the team of providers who serve the same group of people (e.g., care coordinators, therapists, medication providers, and housing specialists). The team meets regularly to review clients' status and plans coordinated, recovery-oriented services.

 

 

ADDITIONAL TRAINING + PROGRAMS

In addition to the Clubhouse Units, Footprint to Success offers following training and activities:

 

Soft Skills Training

The development of soft skills is linked to job longevity and consists of but is not limited to; communication skills, customer/hospitality skills, conflict resolution, and job interviewing.

 

The daily activities of the Clubhouse enable members to interact effectively with other members in the Clubhouse. Soft skills such as listening, being accountable, and following directions, allow members to work harmoniously in the workplace. Members also learn strategies to cope with their illness.

 

Career or Educational Planning

Vocational Counselor and Program Director work together to help members define future goals; some may involve additional training/school. We help members with college accommodations and tutoring for GED.

 

On-site Job Training and Job Coaching

Our Vocational Counselor meets with employees and employers to set a training plan.

 

On-site Mentoring

Onsite mentoring is provided for Culinary, Data Entry, Receptionist, and General Maintenance. We identify areas of strength and areas that the member could benefit from additional training. Members will learn culinary: food prep, shopping, meal planning, food inventory, use of kitchen appliances, and food safety. In the reception area, members answer phones, transfer calls, make house announcements, greet people at the door, etc., which helps build communication skills.

 

Relationship Building Skills

Development of positive behaviors, like empathy, and sustaining relationships with family, friends, employers, and co-workers.

 

Life Skills Training

  • Time Management: Handling Clubhouse day-to-day tasks on time

  • Financial Literacy: Paying Clubhouse bills and helping build a Clubhouse budget, basic understanding of financial accountability. Members develop a member bank that operationally functions like a regular bank. Our Clubhouse bank helps members pay bills and build assets.

  • Entrepreneurship: A few members expressed a goal of starting their own business. The Clubhouse has provided training on how to write a business plan and how to finance a business. Members receiving SSI qualify for a social security program titled “Plan to Achieve Self Support” or “PASS”. This program sets aside income for members to pursue their work goals and buy supplies to start a business, school supplies, and transportation.

  • Goal setting: setting goals for a productive and meaningful future. For members who stopped attending elementary school, we provide a literacy program

  • Resourcefulness: knowing how and where to access community resources. For example, applying for and renewing SNAP, obtaining a government phone, and securing food, if needed. (Harvest Drive, one of our partners, helps our members with food and clothing when required.)

  • Legal: How to get criminal records expunged; attending competency hearings, and legal advice through legal aid, if needed

 

Social and Recreational Programs

A social connection is essential to an individual's well-being and mental health. Through social and recreational programs, members can develop friendships and learn how to participate in community social activities. Individuals living with mental illness die 15-20 years earlier than individuals without mental illness. Developing and maintaining social connections can help mitigate that.

Through a partnership with the YMCA, our members are able to participate in health and wellness activities.

 

Mental Health Activities and Training

Wellness initiatives are an integrated part of our Clubhouse culture

  • Wellness, Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)

  • NAMI Connections- Peer-led support group

  • Anger Management

  • Smoking Cessation

  • Six-month health and wellness survey that assesses whether each member has: a primary doctor, access to psychiatric care; an exercise routine; access to healthy food; access to dental and eye care. The survey helps staff to work with members on obtaining these essential services.

 

Physical Health

We have created partnerships with a local health clinic. FAU nurse practitioners provide yearly physical health assessments, including eye examinations and dental examinations. If further treatment is needed, our members are given appointments with a local clinic.

  • Gym membership

  • Healthy eating and nutrition classes

  • Gardening

  • Evening and weekend social program and wellness activities

 

Support System

Clubhouse membership cultivates a healthy support system for members. At the core of a healthy support system is having people that care about you. Building relationships within the Clubhouse and outside of the Clubhouse is the cornerstone of our program.

 

Members of the Clubhouse are members for life. Even if a member moves away or decides not to return to the Clubhouse, if they reach out to us in a time of crisis, we respond as if they never left the Clubhouse.

 

Linkages to Community Services

  • Dental

  • Psychiatric

  • Primary Care

  • SNAP

  • Disability