Employment Support Leads to Growth in Transitional Employment Jobs
Clubhouse International and our corporate partner, Otsuka, have come together in a three-year partnership to focus on improving employment outcomes for people living with serious mental illness by providing individualized support and expertise for at least 40 U.S. Clubhouses.
These Clubhouses have been identified as having poor or at-risk employment outcomes, where there was a significant loss of employment opportunities due to the pandemic; or where employment program structure and/or outcomes were identified as a key factor in the denial of full Accreditation; or for new Clubhouses that are just building their employment programs.
During the inaugural year of the employment project, we are pleased to share remarkable results. Amber Weber, our Employment Officer, works directly with Clubhouses and Coalitions across the U.S. to enhance employment programs, thus creating more job opportunities and helping to make the workplace more inclusive for people living with mental illness.
Here are several recent successes celebrated by our U.S.-based Clubhouses:
- Wabash Clubhouse in Indiana obtained two Transitional Employment (TE)’s at a hospital and one Supported Employment (SE), all receptionist positions, and working out the details for a TE with their auspice agency.
- Spring City Clubhouse in Wisconsin secured a TE and possibly an SE at Fresh Bowls.
- Reclamation Clubhouse in Kansas developed a TE at a rehabilitation facility doing laundry and dishes.
- Elev8 Clubhouse in St. George Utah, landed a TE at a local restaurant with substantial groundwork laid for an opportunity at Kohls.
A Michigan Employment Story:
Amber recently visited 11 Michigan Clubhouses to provide onsite support to strengthen their employment programs.
During her visit, one Clubhouse, Club Cadillac, invited a potential employer to tour the Clubhouse, which resulted in securing a new Transitional Employment partnership with a local bakery!
Amber also spent time with the Clubhouse discussing strategies to nurture this new partnership so that members can have an opportunity to work for years to come.
“Working at WildFlour means I get to meet more people than I already do, and it’s fun! Without the Clubhouse, I would not even know WildFlour was there, but now I get to work in a wonderful bakery. Working lets me do something other than staying home and makes me feel good about myself.” — Club Cadillac Clubhouse member, Hannah