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Excerpt from Post On CHEKNews By: Veronica Cooper On: March 03, 2019. Click here to see full article and video.

It’s taken five years, but perseverance has paid off, and Victoria’s Connections Place at 3375 Oak Street has opened its doors. The community showed its support with a huge turnout at the grand opening on Feb. 21.

“Connections Place is a Clubhouse, part of the Clubhouse International family,” says Connections Place Chair Jackie Powell. Connections Place will offer support, food, meaningful work, and a place to belong. Executive Director Georgina Patko points out that this is not a drop-in centre. One must register, and become a member. “Membership is free, and for life,” says Patko, “so once you’re a member here, you can come back anytime.”

Andrea Paquette, founder of the Stigma Free Society, is vice-chair of this Clubhouse. She often thinks back on the role Connections Place might have played in her journey.

“In 2003, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder,” says Paquette. “I suffered a psychosis where I saw things, heard things, believed things that weren’t real. It plunged me into a depression where I couldn’t even feed myself, cook, shower…you know, all of those things.”

Paquette’s depression became so deep that she attempted suicide.

“And now, we have Connections Place. The Clubhouse. Where people can come with mental illness. For me, if this place existed [in 2003] I would have had a place to eat. Somebody would have cooked that meal for me. I would have been able to come her and have friends, because I was so isolated, and everybody left me.  I really think that if I attended this Clubhouse, I wouldn’t have attempted suicide.”

Clubhouse International announced the dates and location for its World Seminar 2019: Lillestrøm, Norway, from September 28 to October 3, 2019.

We welcome you and your colleagues to join us at the beautiful Thon Hotel Arena for a Clubhouse International World Seminar filled with opportunities to learn from each other and help make all of our Clubhouses the best they can be!
 
Clubhouse International, together with Fontenehuset i Oslo and Fontenehus Norge, promise to welcome and engage you for five days of powerful presentations, workshops and networking opportunities with colleagues from more than 20 countries expected to participate. Start planning NOW to attend!

• Register here to get our special early bird pricing!
• Click here to download a pdf of the registration page

Dear Clubhouse International Family, Friends and Colleagues,

I am very sorry and heartbroken to report the passing of Mark Lanier, shown in the photo at our 2018 Board Meeting in Toronto Canada. A great champion of people living with mental illness and tireless advocate for the work of Clubhouse International, he will be sorely missed. Mark’s great passion, hard work, and leadership on our Board of Directors made our global community better. He was one of the great “fire souls” among us. He made the world a better place.

Mark’s family has created a place to remember and celebrate his life: click here to access this special web page.

Joel D. Corcoran, Executive Director

Due to popular demand, the online registrations for the USA National Clubhouse Conference, to be held on October 14-16, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, One Bethesda Metro Center (7400 Wisconsin Avenue), Bethesda, Maryland has sold out. Thank you for your interest!

If you have questions please email Maggie Figueroa at mfigueroa@clubhouse-intl.org.

• Click here to view and download the conference brochure

The conference promises to offer exciting and inspiring learning opportunities about sustaining strong, effective Clubhouse communities in the United States. Plenary sessions and interactive workshops will provide a compelling forum for the exchange of information and ideas of interest to new and veteran Clubhouses, and others who are interested in our work.

Some of the many highlights in the program will include:

• State advocacy strategies for your Clubhouse and Clubhouse Coaliton
• Telling your story effectively
• Effective approaches to working with Medicaid funding
• Strengthening your employment program
• Building and sustaining a full and engaging work-ordered-day
• NAMI and Clubhouses – good partners
• Healthy Lifestyles: Realizing Standard #28
• Engaging your community
• Preventing Isolation: best practices in outreach

USA National Clubhouse Conference: Dates to Remember

• April 6, 2018: Registration begins!
• September 10, 2018: Full Payment due
• September 15, 2018: Final names of all participants due

The Full Conference Package  includes conference registration and materials, two nights lodging at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, two breakfasts, two lunches, and a reception.

Differences in prices are based on the type of package chosen. As always, our practice is to keep prices as low as possible for all attendees, and therefore, there are no scholarships available from Clubhouse International. All prices are per person in U.S. dollars.

2018 USA National Clubhouse Conference Registration Fees

Reservations for the hotel and conference will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

Requests for cancellations must be faxed to Clubhouse International at 212.541.6879 or emailed to mfigueroa@clubhouse-intl.org no later than Monday, September 10, 2018. A service fee of $100 will be deducted from all refunds requested. Registrants who do not cancel and do not attend will be responsible for the full registration fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations received after  September 10, 2018.

Who should participate?

Clubhouse members, staff, Boards of Directors, Advisory Boards, funding organizations, employers, national and state mental health policy makers, family and consumer/advocacy groups, and anyone with an interest in community-based rehabilitation and recovery services will find this conference rich with information and stimulating conversation.

Continuing Education
Clubhouse International will provide verification of hours of attendance at workshops and plenaries for those needing documentation for Continuing Education purposes.

Travel to the Hyatt Regency Bethesda

By Car
• Reagan National Airport – 10.7 miles/26 minutes
• Dulles International Airport – 26 miles/33 minutes
• Baltimore/Washington International Airport – 34.5 miles/39 minutes

Public Transportation
DC Metro
Located right beneath Hyatt Regency Bethesda, the Metro Station is where you’ll find the Red Line train to  Washington, DC and the surrounding area. Planning your trip via Metro is easy and inexpensive.
Reagan National Airport (DCA) is conveniently located on the Metro. The Washington, DC Metrorail  system has an elevated Metrorail station connected to the concourse level of Terminals B and C at Reagan National Airport. https://www.flyreagan.com/parking-transportation/metrorail-station
Metro’s Silver Line, the Silver Line Express Bus provides a convenient, economical connection betwee Dulles’ Terminal and the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station on Metrotrail’s Silver Line. The trip takes about 15 minutes.  https://www.flydulles.com/parking-transportation/silver-line-express-bus-metrorail-station. www.flydulles.com/iad/silver-line-express-bus-metrorail-station
Other Transportation
Awards Limousine Service
Based in Bethesda, Maryland, Awards Limousine Service is available 24/7 for both business and leisure  transportation needs. Reservations can be made online or by calling 301-656-9644.
Airport Taxis
Travelers coming to our Washington, DC area hotel by taxi from Reagan National Airport will spend between $45 and $55. It’s approximately $10 more from Dulles International Airport and $20 additional for passengers landing at Baltimore Washington International Airport. Prices are subject to change and can vary depending on traffic.
Airport Shuttles
Super Shuttle is a reliable, reasonably-priced mode of transportation from the airport to our Bethesda, Maryland hotel. Book your reservation online or call 1-800-Blue-Van. Another way to go is the Airport Shuttle. Make your reservation online or call 1-800-776-0323.
Bethesda Shuttle is
A small, local car service that provides safe, reliable, transportation to and from all 3 local airports. Call Steve at 202-590-7516 to make a reservation.
Bethesda Circulator
The Bethesda Circulator is a convenient and free way to get around the bustling downtown streets of downtown Bethesda, Maryland. The Circulator operates daily except Sunday.
Parking: Overnight rates include in/out privileges: Valet/$30, Self/$22, Day Valet/$18

Contact: Jack Yatsko at info@clubhouse-intl.org

Here are two easy ways you can help us achieve our mission this year

• Click here to make your tax-deductible donation before this tax year ends on December 31; and
• Click here to make us your preferred charity on Amazon Smile. Every time you buy gifts or make everyday purchases on Amazon, .5% goes to us!

How Donations Are Used

• 88% of the contributions we receive go to our work to help start and grow Clubhouse communities and mental health advocacy globally.
• Just $15 a month – $180 a year – helps Clubhouse International provide a full year of experienced coaching to one Clubhouse start-up group.
• Each Clubhouse we start will reach an average of 500 people a year when it reaches maturity.

The Bonds and Life Lessons That Make An Incredible Clubhouse

By Josiah Lillard

What makes in incredible Clubhouse? I would like to share my experiences with Clubhouse and the valuable life lessons I have learned.

Your home is supposed to be a safe haven full of love, acceptance, grace, and protection; a place where you can find peace and relief from everyday struggles. This was not my reality at home. I desperately wanted to connect with my family, but my depression, anxiety, and inability to put multiple thoughts together caused frustration, misunderstanding, and at times hurtful words from family and friends. They just did not understand what I was going through, mentally and emotionally. This caused me to isolate and to hide my true feelings for years. I felt like the black sheep of the family. I hated that my relationships with my family and friends were suffering.

Finally, I came to a crossroads that would change my life forever. I reluctantly went with my mother to see a therapist. I was skeptical. Little did I know this therapist would change my life forever. Gene Ward was her name and I will always be grateful to her. She was able to build a relationship that helped me open up to my family and friends. In our last session, Mrs. Ward directed me and my family towards my new family, Next Step Clubhouse. Next Step helped me get my life in order and put my dreams within my reach. This was the beginning of experiencing the hope in my life that I never had before; a family to support me, to help me grow and get me where I wanted to be.  

Eight years ago, I began my journey trying to find help in the mental health field. I wanted to find a place that I could call home, belong to, and not be judged by my mental illness. Coming into Next Step Clubhouse was a life-changing experience for me that I will never forget. For the first time in my life I was seen as an equal. Having peers who were able to relate to my struggles, welcoming me, making me feel at home. The most important moment was meeting my unit leader Michael Lancaster for the first time. Michael had such an amazing way of connecting with people and he helped me find the right fit in the clerical unit. I felt right at home immediately. I was not just meeting people with mental health issues, I was becoming part of a family. Making life bonds that were becoming stronger daily, working on projects together, talking about our struggles, laughing, crying, talking music, sports, and any other subject our unit could cover. We did this together and helped each other overcome our weaknesses, making each member’s life stronger.

Clubhouse gave me an outlet to work on my anger issues, my creative ideas, and a safe space to be able to write my thoughts. Having Mike working with me daily, along with staff and members helped a lot. They challenged me to tap into my emotions, to write about the parts of my life that I needed to share. I found healing that I never thought I would find. Establishing relationships, sharing each other’s burdens, and seeing each member come back the next day better than they were before is what I believe a Clubhouse is all about. 

I know the future is bright for me because in four short years I have found hope, direction and purpose for my life. My goal is to someday to start a Clubhouse of my own. I know my goal and what God has put in my heart and life: meeting the needs of the mental health community and always finding a way to make life better than it was the day before. I believe diversity, hope, faith, hard work, relationships, and dreams in life help create the bonds and the life lessons that create an incredible Clubhouse.