The new clubhouse opens next Wednesday

Just found out that an opening day had been decided on for the new clubhouse that I’ll be helping get off the ground. The opening day is next Wednesday…sooner than I’d expected. I’m looking forward to this as it’ll definitely be a good thing to get away from the house and have something engaging and rewarding to do. Later today I will be going over resumes with one of the board members to offer my input about what we are looking for in staff members.

So as I’ll be rather busy getting this place up and going and making the drive to my old clubhouse to coordinate things and maintain a relationship between the two clubhouses you can expect to probably hear a little less from me but also hear some hopefully positive things about what we are doing here in our community…

Looking forward to this very much.

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I think clubhouse is a new concept to me, having heard that many times from you.

Not a rehabilitation center?

It is different…no it is entirely non-clinical when done correctly.

It is a sort of psycho-social rehabilitation model but very different as it is not a clinical mental health service.

The model is international…last I knew there were over three hundred in the world but most are in the US as this is where it started in 1948.

(added) most members may not be as involved and motivated as I but we do have others in my old clubhouse who bring their particular skills and strengths to the table in keeping the place running and making improvements. We have 180 members there and 3 staff.

Clubhouses differ greatly from city to city and country to country though. I know when a lot of people think of clubhouse they think of low functioning individuals sitting around finger painting…this is not what clubhouse is meant to be however…the majority of members at mine are people you’d never know had a mental illness.

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And it accepts customer of all kinds? Inclusive of illegal drug addicts? Violent abuser?

Are there any daily activities? Any disciplinary action carried out?

Not customers. It’s completely free to the members.

I know my clubhouse does not accept sex offenders as members and prohibits coming in drunk or high but yes an addict can be a member. We also have a policy that there is to be absolutely no violence of any kind or abusive behavior whatsoever. It is the most welcoming community of people I’ve ever known.

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To my surprise, it’s free?!

Okay, I slowly get the picture.

EDIT: Thank you for your patience… I appreciate that.

My sister is still trying to get one together in her area. I think they are great-but seem very hard to do. Especially getting the funds together.
Do you mind ( if I can get her on here ) if i refer her to you on this site? i would also love to have one here in northern KY…but without all the red tape…

I could probably put your sister directly in touch with clubhouse people in this area. I think that the one I will be helping get started would love to be in touch with another start up effort, to share what’s worked and what not. I suppose that would be fine yes.

(I just PM’d you the information) you seemed trustworthy enough :wink:

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Thank you so much! They were trying to get opened up by October, but they are having a hard time getting enough funds…

I know…funding is difficult here as well. Both of the clubhouses I am involved with receive no state funding though this is changing little by little. I know the startup here had a lot of difficulty getting enough funding to even open the doors. But here we are opening the doors this coming Wednesday :sunny:

That`s amazing! My sister went to Indiana for training and recieved this HUGE book. I know she has been meeting with all kinds of people and they have meetings to figure out how to get things done…I just wonder if the funding could be found here. The state cut funding for social services already. Sometimes, I just want to go up to all these big businesses and tell them we need money for housing and a clubhouse,etc…Think they would contribute?;}

hehe…I would only hope that they would see the need and donate…something. I believe we out this way are still getting by on private donations and grants for the most part though. Can’t hurt to ask…I know my favorite staff generalist…Mike is always saying “One of these days we’re going to go down to some of these businesses personally and sit right down and talk to the boss about donating or hiring members or at least something”

(charitable foundations however…they seem more willing to part with their money :smiley:)

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I love the idea of these Clubhouses, and we sure need one here! There are plenty of empty houses here in Covington!

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