Fountain House

02/24/2026

Are you a Fountain House member based in New York? Come by the Social Care Network office in Hell's Kitchen to learn more about Public Health Solutions Whole You NYC initiative!

02/23/2026

Don’t miss next week’s webinar where you'll discover how your Clubhouse can be part of a powerful, unified campaign to spotlight the Clubhouse Model during U.S. Clubhouse Week of Action.

Mark your calendars and join Clubhouse International - ICCD and Fountain House; together we're increasing understanding of the Clubhouse solution for individuals and communities impacted by mental illness. Our movement is changing lives.

02/19/2026

Today’s member spotlight features Fountain House Hell’s Kitchen member, Quita. Quita is a leader throughout the clubhouse, spearheading several examples of programming, including Fountain House’s Black History Month celebrations.

“This February marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. Black history education is so important! My people’s history is dynamic and it is ongoing. It is a chance to look at the past in order to fully understand the present. It helps us to radically imagine a real democratic future for our country and for the world. Global Black history is so exhaustive in scope, breadth and depth that you could be studying for the rest of your life and not get to it all. So, it’s important to have a sense of curiosity and ask questions, rather than assuming that there’s only one story and only one narrative to be told.”

Member Spotlight: ‘I share my story in hopes of inspiring other Black and Muslim Americans to seek help, support and community’

02/17/2026

Fountain House member and Board member, Debra Irwin, penned a letter to the editor of The New York Times in response to their January 28th article, "Why is my son being left to die in the streets?"

To the Editor:
Madeline Till’s essay describes an experience that is all too common for those of us living with serious mental illness, but there are evidence-based resources not mentioned in her essay — clubhouses. Clubhouses, like Fountain House, are voluntary and community-based locations designed to support the recovery of people living with serious mental illness. In clubhouses, intentional communities are created, where members and staff work together to complete daily tasks.

Before Fountain House, my life was spinning out of control with multiple hospitalizations, but I am living proof that clubhouses change lives. After 22 years of membership, I serve as a Fountain House board member, and I am part of a community of people who are, like me, living with serious mental illness and thriving.

In Fountain House they found stability, community, connection and recovery after hospitalizations, substance use, homelessness and feeling discarded by society. I share this to convey how clubhouses can make a difference for those of us with experiences like her son’s. He deserves what clubhouses can give — a life of purpose, connection and community.

Debra Irwin
New York

How we fail the mentally ill | Readers empathize with a mother’s frustration over her inability to help her schizophrenic son

02/12/2026

Fountain House Hell's Kitchen member, James, interviewed Fountain House CEO, Ken Zimmerman, on his time at Fountain House thus far, what he sees for the future and how clubhouses are meeting the moment.

"It’s remarkable to me that I’m in my fourth year here. Perhaps the thing I’m most proud of is to be a member of this community. It is such a powerful place, and I continue to learn and be inspired every day I come in by hearing what staff and members are doing. Beyond that, I’m also proud of how the community has met the moment … when it comes to all of the very complicated and problematic dynamics in the external world. I’m proud of how Fountain House has started to change the profile and understanding of what clubhouses are, the $33 million approved for clubhouses upstate, and the idea that our Hollywood clubhouse is seen as such a significant development."

Read the full Q&A on our blog!

Meeting the moment: A conversation with Ken Zimmerman as he enters his fourth year as Fountain House CEO

02/11/2026

Calling all U.S. Clubhouses! The U.S. Clubhouse Week of Action is taking place May 4-8. Join Clubhouse International - ICCD and Fountain House in this year’s actions and register for our webinar on March 4 at 2PM ET. We can’t wait to get started!

02/11/2026

Fountain House's New York clubhouses partner with Public Health Solutions/Whole You NYC social care network to connect Fountain House members with resources that address unmet needs.

Services range from food, housing, employment, legal aid, youth training and development to health insurance, maternal support, sexual health services and so much more.

If you're a Fountain House member looking to learn more about the partnership, shoot us a DM!

Learn more about Public Health Solutions' Whole You NYC initiative here: https://www.wholeyou.nyc/about

02/09/2026

Join us on February 24th for PASSION FASHION, Fountain House Gallery & Studio’s inaugural fashion show! Celebrate Fountain House artists and designers who are using fashion as a tool to be seen, acknowledged, and appreciated.

The event is proudly hosted with Positive Exposure and curated by Vermillion, with in-kind support from MAD FINE and Kenneth Cole.

The event is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required.

Register below!

See Fountain House artists’ handmade style debut at Gallery & Studio’s inaugural fashion show. Hosted with Positive Exposure.

02/06/2026

Members and staff from Fountain House attended the New York State Senate and Assembly's Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2026 Executive Budget Proposal: Topic Mental Hygiene.

The event's purpose was to review the FY27 budget priorities for the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), the New York State Office of Addiction Services & Support (OASAS) NYS OASAS and New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

Fountain House member, Ashley, delivered testimony on Fountain House and the model, and answered any questions that the Senators and Assemblymembers had after her testimony.

Asks included:
✨ Providing robust funding, including capital and programmatic funding, for the expansion of existing and new accredited clubhouses to reach more New Yorkers living with mental illness.

✨ Creating a sustainable funding source that rewards accredited clubhouses based on the value they provide to their members and that promotes fidelity to the clubhouse model.

✨ Protecting access to federal benefits by streamlining recertifications and creating strong exemptions for people with mental illness.

02/02/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Alister Martin for being appointed to NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner and Stanley Richards as the Department of Correction Commissioner.

"Fountain House is eager to partner with Dr. Martin, and the growing coalition of in to further clubhouse involvement in the continuum of care. Additionally, people living with serious mental illness are vastly and wrongly overrepresented on Rikers Island. There is no one better poised to change that and the other wrongs of the system than our long-time partner Mr. Richards.” - Ken Zimmerman, Fountain House CEO

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01/29/2026

The ROAR Journal is an international publication about social practice and the Clubhouse movement. Fountain House is now opening a call for submissions to be included in the next issue of the journal. The theme of this issue ( #4) will be Social Practice and the Clubhouse Movement – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Submissions are welcomed from anyone connected to a Clubhouse community or whom is familiar with the Clubhouse model and social practice. Writings, photography or artwork should illustrate how clubhouses are born and how they evolve to meet needs and challenges of the communities they serve.

For more information and guidelines, visit the link in our bio or email roarsubmissions@fountainhouse.org. Topic proposals are due by March 1st and will be reviewed by March 15th.

01/27/2026

We're excited to see Fountain House CEO Ken Zimmerman on City and State NY's list of the "2026 Trailblazers in Health Care." A major congratulations to Ken and the other policymakers, providers and practitioners featured!

The 2026 Trailblazers in Health Care