Facts

Through over 350 local Clubhouses in 32 countries around the world, Clubhouse International offers people living with mental illness opportunities for friendship, employment, housing, education and access to medical and psychiatric services in a single caring and safe environment – this social and economic inclusion reverses the alarming trends of higher suicide, hospitalization and incarceration rates associated with mental illness.

Clubhouses are a powerful demonstration of the fact that people with mental illness can and do lead normal, productive lives. Clubhouses are local community centers that provide members with opportunities to build long-term relationships that, in turn, support them in obtaining employment, education and housing, including:

•       a work ordered day in which talents and abilities of members are recognized and utilized within Clubhouse;

•       participation in consensus-based decision-making regarding all important matters relating to the running of the Clubhouse;

•       Opportunities to obtain paid employment in the local labor market through a Clubhouse-created Transitional Employment Program. In addition, members participate in Clubhouse-supported and Independent programs;

•       Assistance in accessing community-based educational resources;

•       Access to crisis intervention services when needed;

•       Evening/weekend social and recreational events; and

•       Assistance in securing and sustaining safe, decent and affordable housing.

Florida Clubhouse Coalition:

Vision - The vision of the Florida Clubhouse Coalition is to establish a mental health Clubhouse program in every one of Florida’s 67 counties.

Partners in Recovery - Florida Clubhouses engage local businesses, clinical and housing providers, human service agencies, local governments, foundations, and a range of other entities as partners in the recovery process.

Accreditation - Of 19 existing Clubhouse programs in Florida, eleven are accredited with Clubhouse International, and eight are on an accreditation track. Florida Clubhouses follow 37 International Standards for Clubhouse Programs, which act as a bill of rights for members and a code of ethics for staff.

Funding and Governance - Each Florida Clubhouse program operates independently, with governance and funding strategies varying according to location. Several Florida Clubhouse programs operate as "freestanding" non-for-profit organizations while others are part of a larger sponsoring agency. Funding may include support from: Department of Children and Families, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid, individual and corporate donations, members and their families, and charitable foundations.

The Florida Clubhouse Coalition is committed to expanding the Clubhouse services throughout the state of Florida.

A Clubhouse is a Community

More than a program or social service, a Clubhouse is above all a community of people who are working towards a common goal to get their lives back!

Clubhouses Are Participative

Each Clubhouse member participates in consensus-based decision making regarding running the Clubhouse. They are members, not "patients" or "cases".

Clubhouses Help End Isolation

Clubhouses are organized as a support system, not as a service or treatment program. Inclusion is at the very heart of the Clubhouse way of working. 

Clubhouses Offer Vocational Training

Clubhouses offer members access to educational resources and a work-ordered day in which each member's talents and abilities are recognized and utilized within the Clubhouse.

Clubhouses Offer a Return to Work

As a right of membership, Clubhouses provide members with opportunities to return to paid employment through both Transitional and Independent Employment programs.

Clubhouses Offer Wellness Programs

When "I" is replaced with "We", mental illness becomes wellness. Clubhouses are a powerful demonstration of the fact that people with mental illness can and do lead normal, productive lives.