Our Mission

Our Mission at Hudson Valley Clubhouse

One in twenty people in the United States suffers from serious mental illness. The social and economic costs of mental illness are undeniable: unemployment, substance abuse, poverty, homelessness, incarceration, hospitalizations, and loss of lives. While crisis response services and clinical treatment are expanding in Poughkeepsie and across Dutchess County, the revolving door of relapse and rehospitalization continues to burden the mental health system.

The mission of Hudson Valley Clubhouse is to provide people with serious mental illness a supportive community to foster long-term recovery and to break the cycle of relapse. Clubhouse participants are known as Members, not patients or clients. Members join voluntarily, and each is a valued participant in the community. They engage with the Clubhouse when and as they need, finding their own place and purpose, and above all, a sense of belonging.

Together, Members and staff design and develop Clubhouse programming, creating work units focused on employment, education, and other key concerns, as well as social/recreational activities. Clubhouses partner with medical and mental health providers, and with employment, educational, and housing resources, to support members’ recovery.

“The overall impact of Clubhouses is impressive. This model is not only the origin of recovery, it could be the future where people, place, and purpose become the foundation for mental health care."

—TOM INSEL

Former Director of the National Institute of Mental
Health and author of the recently released Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health

How Does a Clubhouse Work?

A Clubhouse is a warm, supportive, accepting place where community serves as therapy for people living with serious mental illness. Membership is open to adults aged 18 and older with histories of mental illness.

The Clubhouse provides a place for Members to work, make friends, and socialize. Engagement with the community, meaningful work, and responsibility help Members to regain mental health. During a "work-ordered day," Members and an intentionally small, Clubhouse-trained staff work in partnership, sharing responsibility for the Clubhouse's functioning, activities, and success. Together, Members and staff plan and execute the tasks of maintaining the Clubhouse and the range of programs they develop. Work units are designed to help members obtain employment, resume education, and build relationships and social networks in the wider community. Our Members also regularly engage in advocacy work for those suffering from mental illness.

Employment is a key area where Clubhouses have a substantial impact. The Clubhouse partners with local employers to provide transitional and supported employment. Members work at jobs with these partner businesses as part of the Employment Program. Many also pursue independent employment with help from the Clubhouse team to research job opportunities, apply for jobs, and learn interview skills.

The Clubhouse offers a holistic approach to wellness, which is essential to recovery. Members and staff together engage in nutritious meal planning and preparation. Where possible, Members enjoy community gardening and have access to fresh produce. Members also have regular opportunities for exercise and a range of wellness practices such as yoga and meditation. Members together plan varied social activities both at the Clubhouse and in the larger community. The Clubhouse provides a place to make long-lasting friendships.

A sample Member’s day at a Clubhouse might include:

  • A morning community meeting

  • Meal planning, shopping, and preparation

  • Outreach phone calls to Members, advocacy work for mental health

  • Job research, data gathering, resume building, and mock interviews

  • Outreach to schools, application support, tutoring for fellow Members

  • Management of a library/media center

  • Art studio or music time

  • A tech literacy study group

  • Design, editing, publication of a Clubhouse newsletter

An Evidence-Based, Cost-Effective Solution

Research has proven that Clubhouses promote recovery and help people with serious mental illness reintegrate into the greater community.

Clubhouses are cost-effective:

  • Clubhouse membership has been shown to reduce the number of hospitalizations by one-third and the average number of hospital days per year by 70%.

  • At an average cost of $40 per member per day, Clubhouses are 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of other mental health care models.

  • One year of holistic recovery services can be delivered to Clubhouse members for the same cost as a 2-week psychiatric hospital stay.

  • The employment rate at accredited Clubhouses tops 42%, which is 2-3 times higher than that for adults in the public mental health system.

Often, Clubhouse Members are at risk, and the Clubhouse becomes a center for accessing community resources for healthcare, housing, and more.

Clubhouses are funded by government grants, including Medicaid, as well as by foundation grants and private donations. The funding model varies from state to state and country to country but in all cases reflects a strong public-private community partnership.

The Clubhouse model has been implemented in more than 400 communities in 28 countries since its inception in 1948. A global network, Clubhouse International, assures the development and quality of Clubhouses through training and an accreditation process. Hudson Valley Clubhouse will join a coalition of more than 174 accredited Clubhouses in the United States.