In 1948, a small group of people who recently had been discharged from a New York state psychiatric hospital united to create a group known as "We Are Not Alone (WANA)." Initially started as a self-help organization, WANA later evolved into the Fountain House Clubhouse, a highly successful and innovative community based program to assist people with mental illness to reclaim the lives and aspirations they had lost during the time of their illness.
60 years later, individuals who live with a mental illness continue to want what most people want: a good job, friends, someone to love, a safe comfortable home, and to belong and contribute to their community. Founded in 1999 on the same philosophy that created the original Fountain House, Gratiot County’s own Pine Avenue Place Clubhouse can assist people with mental illness achieve many of these.
The Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation is a comprehensive and dynamic type of treatment for people with severe and persistent mental illness, according to the Wikipedia Enclyopedia. Clubhouse participants are called members and daily activities highlight individual strengths and abilities, not an illness. The program focuses on the independence of the individual and all participation is voluntary.
Members and staff work together to manage all operations of the clubhouse, which are separated into distinct units. Included are the Kitchen Unit, the Hospitality Unit, the Clerical Unit and the Maintenance Unit, thus providing an opportunity for members to participate in significant and meaningful ways. Through this environment of support, acceptance, and commitment to the potential contribution and success of each individual, clubhouses are places where people can belong and contribute to the program. The Clubhouse Model is founded on the belief that people with mental illness can successfully live productive lives and work in the community, regardless of the nature or severity of their mental illness.
Activities are designed to assist, support, and teach its members various skills that will help them in their journey toward recovery. An array of supports are offered including vocational support, outreach, advocacy, wellness activities, social supports, and assistance in accessing other helpful services. Because members work closely as a team, a supportive community is formed. The members develop a support system by forming relationships with each other based on friendship and mutual supports. Meaningful work opportunities are available within the day-to-day operations of the clubhouse. Members see that their talents, efforts, and abilities make a positive impact on the clubhouse as a whole.
One of over 300 clubhouses in 24 countries worldwide, Pine Avenue Place is located in Downtown Alma on Pine Avenue. Gratiot County Community Mental Health (CMH) consumers are welcome to join a community where individuals prosper and grow within a supportive team environment. Members are referred to the clubhouse through their mental health professional at CMH.
Pine Avenue Place members are proud of their clubhouse and with that pride comes a feeling of accomplishment and an enormous step toward recovery. For more information call Gratiot County CMH at 989-466-4192.