Changing Lives Through HOPE
Hope Clubhouse of Southwest Florida, Inc.
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3602 Broadway Ave.
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Support Hope Clubouse with a donation. |
Hope Clubhouse of Southwest Florida (HOPE Clubhouse) has received a three-year accreditation from the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD). This is the first time HOPE has applied for this evidence based designation.
Opened in 2010, HOPE Clubhouse is a voluntary rehabilitation program for people living with mental illness. HOPE Clubhouse has officially joined 350 other accredited Clubhouses around the world that are based on a unique collaboration between businesses, families, communities to help members reintegrate back to the workforce. Members work side-by-side with staff as colleagues to run the program, to learn or teach skills, and to offer support and resources needed to achieve a satisfying and improved quality of life in the community.
HOPE Clubhouse has served 159 people who are living with severe mental illness and has helped 58 members to re-enter the workforce. HOPE Clubhouse has partnered with over 10 employers such as LeeSar, GoodWill Industries, South Seas Resort and Gavin's Ace Hardware. HOPE Clubhouse also assists with housing as well as supporting members to attend secondary school and or to get their GED.
Accreditation involved the entire Clubhouse community in an interactive process of self-evaluation and strategic planning. After conducting its own in-depth self-study over the course of four months, HOPE Clubhouse was visited by an ICCD Faculty Team that reviewed the Clubhouse and its adherence to the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs. The Faculty Team included trained members and staff from strong ICCD Certified Clubhouses.
“ICCD accreditation means that we adhere to the thirty-six International Clubhouse Standards which have been agreed upon by ICCD accredited Clubhouses around the world,” says Debra Webb, Executive Director. “These Standards provide the basis for members and staff to operate the Clubhouse together based on a specific philosophy and rehabilitation methods. The Clubhouse philosophy believes in the potential of all individuals to lead a satisfying and meaningful life, including becoming employed.”
Dr. William Madaus, Chair of the Board of Directors explained, “This accreditation validates HOPE Clubhouse’s commitment to excellence and to the evidence-based Clubhouse model. Evidence-based practices are an important concept today because we must demonstrate that our specific interventions achieve identified outcomes in community integration such as employment, volunteering, and education as well as reduced hospitalization.”
Webb added, “HOPE Clubhouse has been fortunate as the Southwest Florida Community has been very supportive and has embraced our model. HOPE Clubhouse has been funded by United Way, Lee County Human Services, Southwest Florida Community Foundation and Central Florida Behavioural Health Network, Able Trust as well as many dedicated donors and civic organization such as Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs.
If you want more information on how to become a member, please call HOPE Clubhouse at 239-267-1777.
A community of people organized to support individuals living
with the effects of mental illness
Through participation in a clubhouse people are given opportunities to rejoin the worlds of friendship, important work, employment and education
The descriptive name was taken from the first clubhouse established in 1948, Fountain House in New York City and has served as a model for all subsequent clubhouses developed around the world
The term “clubhouse” communicates the message of membership and belonging
Membership is open to anyone who has a history of mental illness
Members are seen as valued participants and not patients and are not defined by a disability label
Participation is voluntary but all members are encouraged to work in areas including clerical duties, reception, food service, transportation, outreach, education, financial services, and much more
Clubhouses are built upon the belief that every member can sufficiently recover from the effects of mental illness to lead personally satisfying lives
The clubhouse concept is organized around the belief in the potential for productive contributions from everyone and hold the conviction that work and work-related relationships are restorative and provide the foundation for growth and individual achievement
Members and staff share the responsibility for the successful operation of the clubhouse as they learn each other’s strengths, talents and abilities
The daily activities of a clubhouse are organized around a structured system known as the work-ordered day which parallels the business hours of the working community
There are no clinical therapies or treatment-oriented programs. Members participate as they feel ready and according to their individual interests
The clubhouse provides members the opportunities to return to paid employment through both transitional employment and independent employment programs
Clubhouses provide evening, weekend, holiday and social programs
Members are given help accessing the best quality services in the community including affordable and dignified housing, mental and general health services, and government disability benefits
Members reach out to other active members who are experiencing difficulties and may need extra help
The clubhouse offers educational opportunities for members to complete their academic programs
Members and staff meet in open forums to discuss clubhouse policy and future planning for the clubhouse
Although the first clubhouse was started more than fifty years ago and has been replicated more than 350 times around the world, the clubhouse concept is still a radically different way of working in the field of community mental health. Most program models still focus on assessing a person’s level of disability and limiting the expectations based on that assessment. In a clubhouse the expectations are high and mutual work, satisfying relationships and meaningful opportunities in the community are the vehicles of choice.