Why a Clubhouse in Atlanta
Clubhouses offer people living with mental illness hope and opportunities to reach their full potential. They operate on proven Standards which have been developed by Clubhouse International over two decades and which are effective in over 320 Clubhouses worldwide.
In February we started on a journey to create a Clubhouse in the North Atlanta area. Twelve of us, primarily with a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) background, visited Gateway House in Greenville, SC and were blown away by the beehive of activity we saw. In April we had a presentation from Clubhouse International at the NAMI Georgia Annual Conference. In May through August Susie Kyle and Bill McClung met with multiple groups to develop an understanding of how to make a Clubhouse become a reality.
Most programs still focus on assessing a person’s level of disability and limiting the expectations based on that assessment. Most use teaching or treatment as the vehicle for providing the rehabilitation. In a Clubhouse, the expectations are high, and mutual work, mutual relationships and meaningful opportunities in the Clubhouse as well as in the community are the vehicles of choice.
Learn more about how Clubhouses work at Clubhouse International http://clubhouse-intl.org/resources/how-clubhouses-work/
