I still vividly remember that day, some 30 years ago, when my parents called me into their bedroom, and asked me to stop arguing with my big brother Anthony. They explained that his erratic behaviour wasn’t his fault and asked me to be patient with him because he wasn’t well. They told me they were taking him to the hospital, and that everything would be okay.
Anthony was admitted to the psychiatric hospital the next day, and I was confused and devastated. He was 15 years old. You see, Anthony is the second of 5 siblings. We were closest in age and we used to play together a lot. We lived in an upper middle class neighborhood, and life was good. Anthony was so much fun to be around. He’d come up with all kinds of games. He was a born leader, and when we were little I’d always follow his lead because he never let me get into trouble… he always took the blame for all our escapades.
After he was diagnosed with schizophrenia everything changed. Initially, it was not too bad, but as he grew older, it became a struggle to get him to take his medication. After a while, he would stop taking them, he would get progressively worse and then he’d end up back in hospital. It was a really stressful time for all of us
Despite his illness, he managed to graduate from high school and completed agricultural college with a diploma in agriculture. He got a job as an agricultural extension officer in the Ministry of Agriculture in Ghana. After a while, he had to be let go because he could not function properly.
Over the years, Anthony has become only a shadow of that fun-loving, mischievous, smart little boy that he was. He still lives at home, and has never been married. He cannot live independently because for now, he cannot hold down a job. He has few friends, and his social life is virtually non-existent.
Background: There was, and still is, a lot of stigma attached to mental illness in Ghana. We couldn’t talk openly about our brother’s illness. The hospitals are overcrowded and the infrastructure is poor, and it was always so heart-rending and painful to visit him there. Whenever he was discharged, we would look around for a rehabilitation program that would help re-integrate him back into society. We found nothing suitable.
We live with our spouses in four different countries; the United States, Canada, Britain and Ghana, and we all work full-time. Through a sheer determination to help our brother, we invested our time and resources in our quest for ways to help our brother become more independent.
After a while, we decided to set up something that would meet our brother’s needs, as well as the needs of people like him and families like ours that are living with mental illness. In our search, we found the Clubhouse International Website and were thrilled because it sounded exactly like what Anthony needed! We contacted Clubhouse International, applied for, and were invited to participate in the New Clubhouse Development training seminar. We did and were thrilled! We are positive that this will work for us!
Vision: We see RosePep House as a safe haven that provides an environment of belonging, dignity, hope and purpose where people dealing with mental illness will obtain opportunities and support to re-integrate into society.
RosePep Today: Today, thanks to Clubhouse International, there is hope for our brother and many more like him in Ghana. RosePep House has a committed Working Group consisting of individuals who share in our Clubhouse vision. We have a dynamic mentor who continues to be one of our biggest fans and provides us with invaluable support. We already have our Clubhouse building in a prime location in Accra. We have even identified an Executive Director who believes in our vision and is ready and willing to work!
Next Steps: After this, we set up our Advisory Board, secured funds, completed improvements to and furnished our Clubhouse and hired staff. We opened our doors in September 2009.
Clubhouse International (www.clubhouse-intl.org), a global non-profit, non-governmental organization that helps communities around the world create sustainable solutions for mental illness, celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its founding today. Joel Corcoran, Executive Director of Clubhouse International, marked the occasion by acknowledging the dedication of the organization’s staff, many volunteers, and the organization’s 320 member Clubhouses to changing the world of mental health. See press release.
New York, NY – November 27, 2013
Summary: Clubhouse International, a global organization that seeks to change the world of mental health, has joined #GivingTuesday, an internet-wide philanthropic event that is launching on Tuesday December 3, 2013. During this holiday season, people are encouraged to support the work of Clubhouse International by making an online donation; visiting or volunteering at a local Clubhouse; or speaking out against the prejudice and stigma that surround mental illness.
The News-Sentinel – November 5, 2013
Summary: Carriage House member, Steven Manning, was the subject of an article in the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel recently. Manning, who now runs his own production company, was at his lowest point 12 years ago, suffering from bipolar disorder. He was gradually helped to recovery through his faith, help from a local mental health center and Carriage House. “The Clubhouse focuses on a person’s skills, talents and interests,” said Manning who started going there in 2001. Andy Wilson, Carriage House Executive Director, said that a transitional job began to set Manning’s life on its current positive course. “I remember him pushing himself beyond where he was comfortable,” Wilson said. But Manning kept at it. He launched his company, Manning Video Productions, while still at Carriage House, achieved his goal of earning a master’s degree and with the help of medication has been symptom free since 2008.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Summary: In recognition of NAMI’s efforts to raise mental illness awareness, Congress designated the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week. To take full advantage of this week and spread the word about mental illness, NAMI has prepared a complete range of suggestions and ideas including a list of potential activities, ways for individuals to educate themselves about mental illness, and a fully developed Public Relations and Marketing Toolkit. Clubhouse International recognizes the work of NAMI affiliates and all mental health programs across the United States, which work tirelessly to raise awareness about mental illness. For more information about NAMI’s programs for Mental Illness Awareness Week, click here.
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey, speaks out against mental illness stigma after U.S. Navy Yard Shootings
During a Pentagon press conference held by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin E. Dempsey on September 18, 2013, reporters asked questions about the recent tragic shootings at the U.S. Navy Yard. When asked about de-stigmatizing mental health and the issue of security clearance, General Dempsey responded with a clear statement defending the rights of the mentally ill:
“As for the questions about mental health on security clearance forms, I actually was one of those with Pete Chiarelli and others who believed that men and women should have the opportunity to overcome… their mental disorders or their mental challenges or… their clinical health challenges and shouldn’t be stigmatized. And so I still remain in that camp, that a man or woman should have the ability to — with treatment — overcome them and then to have a fruitful life and gain employment, including inside of the military.”
Clubhouse International applauds General Dempsey for his outspoken statement in defense of the rights of those living with mental illness and against stigmatization.
