Clubhouse Standards

Module Five: Clubhouse International Standards

Overview

The International Standards for Clubhouse Programs™ is a set of 37 standards that promote quality programs and help ensure strong recovery outcomes for Clubhouse members. The Standards were developed by the Clubhouse community as a whole and conformance with the Standards forms the basis of the Clubhouse training and accreditation processes.

The International Standards for Clubhouse Programs™, consensually agreed upon by the worldwide Clubhouse community, define the Clubhouse Model and its values, principles, and program practices. The principles expressed in these Standards are at the heart of the Clubhouse community’s success in helping people with mental illness to achieve social, financial, educational, and vocational goals. The Standards also serve as a “bill of rights” for members and a code of ethics for staff, board, and administrators. The Standards insist that a Clubhouse is a place that offers respect and opportunity to its members.

The Standards provide the basis for assessing Clubhouse quality, through the Clubhouse International Accreditation process. Every two years the worldwide Clubhouse community reviews these Standards and amends them as deemed necessary. The process is coordinated by the Clubhouse International Standards Review Committee composed of members and staff of Accredited Clubhouses from around the world.

The Accreditation Process

Accreditation promotes excellence and helps ensure that a Clubhouse program consistently provides quality service and assures best practices through compliance with standards through an external, objective peer-review assessment. Experience has shown that conformance with clubhouse standards has a positive impact on the outcomes of Clubhouse programs and services. For example, nearly 42% of Clubhouse members at an accredited Clubhouse are likely to be employed and are significantly less likely to be hospitalized or incarcerated.

Clubhouses that wish to have accreditation through Clubhouse International first conduct a rigorous self-evaluation that typically involves every level of the clubhouse and its various stakeholders, including the auspice agency if there is one with the program and fiduciary responsibility for the clubhouse. Stakeholders include Clubhouse members and staff, the clubhouse Board of Directors, and Advisory Board members if the Clubhouse has one. Stakeholders in the process may also include community stakeholders such as government authorities, Community Mental Health Boards, NAMI members, and other consumer advocates.

Learning Objectives:

To become familiar with the history of International ClubhouseClubhouse Standards, the process that created them, and how they are monitored.
Gain an understanding of how the International Clubhouse Standards are used in quality assurance and accreditation.
Explore how the International Clubhouse Standards assist funding agencies in making funding decisions

Study Questions:

Clubhouse Standards

Why were the International Clubhouse Standards established?
Are the International Clubhouse Standards used in the Clubhouse International accreditation process?
Does a Clubhouse need to adhere to every standard to be accredited as a Clubhouse?
How are the International Clubhouse Standards used to enhance the quality of Clubhouse services and improve the outcomes of Clubhouse programs?
Are the International Clubhouse Standards ever revised and, if so, what is the process to revise them?
Are the International Clubhouse Standards recognized by a government authority or certifying organization?

Essential Reading:

The International Standards for Clubhouse Programs
Roberts, A & Kurtz, L. (1987). Historical Perspectives on the Care and Treatment of the Mentally Ill. The Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. Western Michigan University. Vol.4 (4)

International Clubhouse Standards.pdf

Historical Perspectives on the Care and Treatment of the Mentally.pdf