AUSTIN CLUBHOUSE INC
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : i**o@a*************e.o*g
Mission Statement
Austin Clubhouse exists to provide acceptance and empowerment so adults living with mental health diagnoses can pursue personal goals and play a meaningful role as co-workers, colleagues, family members, neighbors and friends.
About This Cause
Austin Clubhouse was established in 2010 with the belief that recovery from severe mental illness is possible not only through clinical intervention, but through meaningful work and deeply-rooted relationships. The Clubhouse exists to provide acceptance and empowerment so adults with mental health diagnoses can pursue personal goals and play a meaningful role as co-workers, colleagues, family members, neighbors, and friends. Austin Clubhouse is a community accredited by Clubhouse International, which established a more than 70-year-old evidence-based model of nonclinical mental health recovery in New York City. This model has since been replicated worldwide to empower adults with mental health diagnoses to achieve self-sufficiency and purpose. Membership is free and lifelong to the more than 1,200 members who have joined since Austin Clubhouse opened its doors. At its most basic level, a Clubhouse provides a meaningful place for adults to spend time and energy on their road to mental health recovery. We assist people in making friends, getting jobs, going to school, and living healthier lifestyles. All activities of the Clubhouse are designed to cultivate community as members regain self-worth, confidence, and independence. The Clubhouse fills a critical gap of mental health support between crisis (hospitalizations, incarcerations, homelessness, etc.) and meaningful participation in society (independence and self-sufficiency). Rather than providing services like therapy or medication management that concentrate on an individual’s illness, Austin Clubhouse focuses on the individual strengths and goals of everyone who walks through our doors. For this reason, we refer to Clubhouse participants as “members”, not “patients” or “clients”. The key to this person-centered approach is the “work-ordered day” (WOD). The WOD is a program wherein individuals further their mental health recovery through meaningful work and social participation. Modeling a regular workday, the WOD encompasses all the tasks that are necessary to keep the Clubhouse running, which would be impossible without member participation. By design, the program is lightly staffed to ensure members are offered ample opportunities to help with operations and feel valued as an integral part of the Clubhouse. Austin Clubhouse is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which time members and staff engage together in the running and operations of the Clubhouse. From the daily meal to gardening, unit meetings, member orientation, community outreach, and more, members have the opportunity to contribute at all levels of the organization. It is especially important that members are represented in leadership, with two dedicated positions on the Board of Directors for members. Currently, one of those members holds the position of Secretary as part of the Board’s Executive Committee. This level of access gives members a wide range of opportunities to discover their strengths and develop unique roles within the Clubhouse community, preparing them to be more active members of society. At all phases of recovery, members are welcome to participate in any activity of their choosing at the Clubhouse without regard to skill or ability. Around the world, Clubhouses have demonstrated remarkable success in providing adults with mental illness the support necessary to succeed in their lives. Based on self-reported biannual surveys, 90% of Austin Clubhouse members say they have developed a strong support network through the Clubhouse, and active members are employed at nearly triple the national rate. In the past year alone, Austin Clubhouse has assisted approximately 30% of our active membership with their employment goals. In a world that stigmatizes adults with mental health diagnosis—telling them everything they cannot do—Austin Clubhouse empowers them to achieve their goals and make a meaningful contribution to their communities.