The Benefits Of A Free-Standing Clubhouse

by Mike Furches

I first started working in clubhouses in 1988. I had the privilege of starting at what I still believe to be the best clubhouse in the country, Gateway House in Greenville, South Carolina. While at Gateway House I spent four years working on the Snack Bar Unit. I also had the opportunity to be involved in the colleague training program while at Gateway.

It was during this time at Gateway House that I met people from a number of clubhouse programs under the auspices of mental health centers. It was difficult for me to understand this concept at first, as Gateway House is a free-standing program. While working in the Gateway House colleague training program, I often heard people from clubhouses associated with mental health centers blame their inability to follow the Standards on this fact. Gateway House was always persistent, saying "No, that is not the case, programs under mental health center auspices can implement the model." The Gateway House response recognized that this might not always be easy, but that clubhouse was something one would have to strive for.

After four years at Gateway House, I left to become the director of a program in Hendersonville, North Carolina called Sixth Avenue West. This was a new and enlightening experience for me, in that Sixth Avenue West was attached to a mental health center. I then began to see, first-hand, many of the real struggles involved in implementing the clubhouse model in this environment. The experience left me convinced that it is indeed possible, although often very difficult, to meet the Clubhouse Standards in this setting. At Sixth Avenue West, we worked diligently to create a strong clubhouse and we were recognized as being one of the best programs in the country. I spent approximately four years at Sixth Avenue West and will be forever grateful for the experience.

I am now the Executive Director of a brand new program in Tulsa, Oklahoma which opened its doors to members on February 6, 1995. This has brought me full-circle, back to a free-standing clubhouse. I have already, in this short time, seen many of the enormous benefits of being free-standing.

Board of Directors

the first and most obvious benefit to me is the existence of a board of directors, totally committed to the clubhouse. This fact immediately differentiates clubhouses under mental health center auspices from those that are free-standing. In clubhouses attached to a mental health center the control of monies, the focus of the program, the efforts and direction of the mental health centers will always be multi-faceted. One of the common criticisms I hear from non-freestanding clubhouses is that monies generated from the activity and billing of the clubhouse go to support other programs within the mental health center, including D.D., substance abuse, children's services, etc. In contrast, a board of directors dedicated to the clubhouse has one thing on its mind with regard to the monies generated: the clubhouse.

It should be stated, however, that there are also challenges in this area. I consider it part of my responsibility to continually educate the board of directors about the clubhouse model and the philosophy. It is important that the director help the board understand what roles they can undertake that will most benefit the clubhouse culture and members. Part of my job is to work with the board to keep the focus on the operations of the program and its members.

Consistency of Vision

The most persistent problem I faced while with the mental health center was that keypeople there were unwilling to learn about the model. Despite our willingness, and many attempts to educate the mental health center staff, most of them had no desire to learn. Mental health centers often become much like large businesses. You usually have a variety of specialized staff for different functions: receptionists, doctors, psychiatrists, case managers, different staff for different compartments of the mental health center. Although the generalist role of staff in the clubhouse is critical for fostering the kinds of deep and broad relationships we form there, while working within a mental health center we are often questioned about why our staff are doing the things they do.

For example, while working at the mental health centered sponsored clubhouse, I was involved in a situation in which one of our clubhouse members was taking a twenty-five mile walk in one-

hundred degree weather and ninety percent humidity. One of my staff happened to see her and picked her up to get her out of the heat, as she had a heart condition. My supervisors at the mental health center wanted me to write up this staff worker for stopping to help the member. He was providing a service for which we could not bill, and we were therefore crossing the line in helping her. This was naturally an absurd view taken by the center. I told my supervisor that if anyone was to be written up it should be me, because I would refuse to write this staff up for the services he provided. I believe this story illustrates the point of how combining the visions and purposes of a clubhouse and a mental health center can be detrimental to the clubhouse.

Choosing Our Own Battles

I can recall vividly my mentor Phil Emory, director of Gateway House, often saying that, "If I thought I would never have to fight any battles as a result of our being free standing, I was sure wrong." Echoing this sentiment would be Tommy Gunn or Jonathan Beard, directors of two other quality free-standing clubhouses in the Carolinas.

In the short time that I have been the director of a freestanding clubhouse I have come to realize the truth of this statement. I have already been involved in battles with agencies, politicians, board members, staff, you name it. There is a major difference however. That difference is that I am involved in the battles that I choose to be involved in. After all, I am no longer dependent on making good impressions on mental health center managers, or case managers, or substance abuse programs, just to name a few. Now don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with having a good quality relationship with these agencies and people. However, our existence as a Standard-based clubhouse should not be dependent on these relationships.

In the freestanding clubhouse, we are driven by the service and the standards we offer the members. The four guaranteed rights are insured and talked about within the program. This is the difference.

Suggestions for Auspice-Based Clubhouses

I want to be very clear in saying that I believe strongly that auspice programs can be good, quality clubhouses. I have seen them. I have been there. I would also say that I believe that there are some unique benefits of being part of a larger agency, such as immediate referral sources. I also believe that these programs can do some important things to strengthen their clubhouses. The establishment of a board of directors for the clubhouse, or a friends of the clubhouse, is a major step. Educating the auspice agency, regardless of seeming disinterest, is also very important.

I will say, however, that I feel as if I am where every good director wants to be. At a freestanding, growing clubhouse. I feel revived again in my new job. I have a new excitement for clubhouse. I realize that I am involved with a program that has one of the best chances of any clubhouse at growing and expanding. I am also convinced that this would not be possible if we were attachedto a mental health center. There, our growth would always be limited to others within the agency making those determining factors for us.

Now, the sky is the limit.

Mike Furches is the director of Crossroads in Tulsa, Oklahoma.