Clubhouse International, a California Center of Excellence

Designated Center of Excellence

Clubhouse International has been designated as a Center of Excellence (COE), for Clubhouse Services by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

We’re proud to be part of California’s effort to expand access to and strengthen the continuum of community-based health services for individuals living with significant behavioral health needs.

The Clubhouse Model of psychosocial rehabilitation has been helping people recover from serious mental illness since the 1940s. Our network of 370+ Clubhouses across the globe has a proven track record of helping adults living with mental illness reintegrate into society through work, education, housing, and friendship.

Visit the Behavioral Health COE Resource Hub for information about all the participating COEs and EBPs.

Clubhouse International

Clubhouse International is the only global mental health nonprofit that expands and enhances recovery opportunities for people living with mental illness by integrating our proven recovery model – the Clubhouse Model of psychosocial rehabilitation – into community-based systems of care worldwide.

Clubhouse International includes a network of over 370 Clubhouses in 32 countries, which provide resources and opportunities to help end social and economic isolation. Approximately 100,000 people with mental illness access a Clubhouse each year.

Member Clubhouses

Clubhouses are community-based mental health programs designed to support and empower people living with serious mental illness to take control of their recovery. Rooted in the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs™, all accredited Clubhouses operate under our proven Clubhouse Model which places community connection, and meaningful work at the core of recovery. Each Clubhouse helps members thrive through access to opportunities for employment, socialization, education, skill development, housing, and improved wellness.

Clubhouse members help to manage their Clubhouse alongside Clubhouse staff through a concept called the Work-Ordered Day. It’s based on the idea that work promotes recovery by helping end isolation and building relationships and self-esteem because there is dignity and purpose in work and belonging.

Affordable & Effective

The model calls for the Clubhouse to be minimally staffed to provide opportunities for members to engage. Fewer clinical workers are required, making Clubhouses a cost-effective behavioral health investment with proven results.

The annual cost of Clubhouses is about one-third to one-half the cost of other well-known models.

Evidence-based Results

Within the supportive Clubhouse community, members are able to complete their education, find paid work, are more likely to be stably housed, and achieve health and wellness goals at significantly higher rates than others living with serious mental illness.

Member Story: Nicola
"I felt like I could just be myself..."

“My Clubhouse helped me get of the house and structure my days. I loved the way staff and members work together side by side. Even though I was still struggling with my mental health, I felt like I could just be myself which was invaluable to me.”
Nicola, Clubhouse Member

Read Member stories like Nicola’s here

The Clubhouse movement is based on the concept of community, so local communities both in urban and rural areas open and run their own Clubhouses. Individual Clubhouses are membership-based organizations and so is Clubhouse International. We’re the international body that provides a common platform, training, accreditation, support and community for all Clubhouses.

Clubhouse International focuses on six key areas:

Expansion

We help open new Clubhouses around the world. Each new Clubhouse touches approx. 500 people in need.

Accreditation

We ensure successful member outcomes through Clubhouse Accreditation, our research-based quality program.

Training

We ensure new & mature Clubhouse sustainability through ongoing training and mentoring.

Advocacy

We advocate globally for government funding to support mental health programs, which ultimately helps open more Clubhouses.

Public Awareness

We work to end stigma by educating the public and media about mental illness and howthe Clubhouse Model is changing lives.

Research

We develop and enhance research to measure Clubhouse member outcomes and the effectiveness of the Clubhouse Model.

Clubhouse Model Complements Other Treatment Modalities

Lasting, effective mental health care can’t be achieved with medication or therapy alone but must instead help people regain the skills and social support to reintegrate into their communities and thrive. The Clubhouse serves as the glue to keep members engaged and connected to psychiatric and medical care, housing, and employment.

We encourage you to review the information on this page and throughout our website to learn about and access resources available to you from Clubhouse International as you consider implementing an Accredited Clubhouse in your community.

CONTACT US & STAY ENGAGED
Have a question or want to learn more about the Clubhouse Model? Send us an email at coe@clubhouse-intl.org and a member of our team will respond within three business days.

COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AGENCIES:
Interested in initiating a consultation with us? Complete an engagement initiation form here: http://bit.ly/4mGSU0K. If you’re a behavioral health practitioner, please coordinate with your county behavioral health plan.

DATA COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS:
Click here to learn more about our data collection requirements.

Meet Our Team Dedicated to California

We have an experienced team ready to help you bring our evidence-based Model to your community.

Members benefit from our global network. Teams from across the world regularly collaborate, sharing best practices that enhance the entire Clubhouse movement.

Joel D. Corcoran, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Joel D. Corcoran, M.Ed., is responsible for all of Clubhouse International's operations, programs, finances and communications. Joel has worked in the field of community mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation since 1981. Before assuming his position at Clubhouse International in 1995, his career included working at a large state psychiatric hospital, as a case manager, a residential director, a Clubhouse director and as an administrator in a multi-state mental health agency. He has been an advocate for state and national mental health services reform and for people living with mental illness to have a role in the design and evaluation of those services.

Joel also has traveled extensively throughout the world, working to support the development and quality improvement of Clubhouse programs, helping them become strong and enduring resource centers for people living with mental illness. He has been an active advocate for quality services, dignified opportunities and full citizenship for people living with mental illness. He has worked with local, state, national and international governments, public and private health agencies, advocacy groups and educational institutions. In his role as the Executive Director of Clubhouse International, he has provided a system of training, Accreditation, technical assistance and consultation on local, state and national levels to government, family members, providers and consumer organizations interested in Clubhouse development.

Veronica Cigarroa, California Program Officer

California Program Officer

Veronica serves as Program Officer for the California Center of Excellence Project, leading
statewide efforts to grow and strengthen accredited Clubhouses. She previously directed the
Escondido Clubhouse in San Diego, guiding its transformation from a wellness center to an
accredited Clubhouse and helping to establish the Clubhouse Coalition California.

Veronica has also led wellness and mental health initiatives at the Brother Benno Foundation and facilitated
multiple NAMI San Diego family education and peer-support programs. Active in local civic
leadership through Rotary and the Escondido Community Foundation, she is dedicated to
advancing recovery-oriented communities where all people can thrive and belong.

Lee Kellogg, Senior Program Officer

Senior Program Officer

Lee Kellogg works broadly across all Clubhouse International programming areas with key responsibilities in managing the California Center of Excellence project and providing leadership to our Clubhouse Coalition and research efforts.

Lee has spent his entire career working in the Clubhouse Model, including 17 years as the Director of Genesis House in Michigan with a leadership role in Clubhouse Michigan. He has worked full time at Clubhouse International since 2015 and is inspired every day by the worldwide Clubhouse community.

Patricia O'Brien, California Program Officer

California Program Officer

Patricia O’Brien has been actively involved in the California Clubhouse community since
2020. She started as a volunteer at California Clubhouse, later joining its board and co-
founding Clubhouse Coalition California where she served as Board Treasurer until
joining Clubhouse International in 2025.

Starting in 2024, she focused efforts on analyzing the Medi-Cal policy as it applies to
the Clubhouse Model and studying Medicaid implementation strategies nationwide. Her
work has centered on identifying how BH-CONNECT and Medi-Cal can be implemented
in California while maintaining fidelity to Clubhouse Standards, positioning Clubhouses
to take advantage of this major opportunity.

Patricia brings extensive senior-level experience in the financial services and nonprofit
sectors, along with a strong background in strategic leadership and public speaking.
She currently serves as Program Officer for the California Center of Excellence Project
at Clubhouse International.

Jack Yatsko, Chief Operating Officer

Jack Yatsko
Chief Operating Officer

Jack Yatsko has been with Clubhouse International since 2002, and his career in mental health spans 30 years. He began his Clubhouse career in Hawaii in 1989 at Friendship House, the first Clubhouse program in Hawaii.

Jack works closely with our Training Bases and Faculty for Clubhouse development; helps develop new Clubhouses; and provides technical assistance to many existing Clubhouses and groups or individuals seeking to learn more about the Clubhouse Model.

Jack continues to reside in Hawaii although his travels take him across the globe. He has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaii.