Mental Health Recovery is Possible
Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. This is true for Willie, a member of the AIM Center, a Clubhouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
After nearly 100 hospitalizations, Willie was exhausted and frustrated. “I was known as a frequent flier and knew I needed something different or I was never getting out of this endless cycle.” In 2015 at age 22, he had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He had begun experiencing things that others couldn’t see or hear, and he was struggling with thoughts about whether he wanted to keep going. But luckily another voice told him to get help. That was the start of his long
mental health recovery journey. His counselor recommended he take a tour of a Clubhouse.
“On my tour in 2017 I could see how different the AIM Center was, it was not clinical and that intrigued me to join. I had a rocky start though. In the first few years things were just not clicking for me at Clubhouse,” said Willie. Fast forward to 2020 and the world shut down because of Covid. “The pandemic made me realize what I was missing out on. I did not fully appreciate how good I had it at the Clubhouse until Covid forced a shutdown. I knew when the Clubhouse re-opened that I had to get serious and intentional about my involvement. I needed to dive in fully and not allow this opportunity to slip through my hands.”
A light bulb had gone off. Previously Willie had viewed the Clubhouse’s adherence to a Work- Ordered Day as a burden. It’s a structured system that brings staff and members together as colleagues to manage the daily operations of a Clubhouse. It’s unique because responsibility for critical work is shared. Member’s strengths and interests are encouraged, and they get to choose the work that most interests them. “Many people living with serious mental illness are viewed only as patients and through a lens of limitations instead of their potential. The Clubhouse Work-Ordered Day restores their humanity and provides them with a framework to truly be seen, heard and needed,” said Joel Corcoran, Executive Director and CEO of Clubhouse International. An AIM Center staff member that worked closely with Willie told him he was a helper and needed to use that strength to not just help himself but other Clubhouse members. “I took her words seriously and began to realize that true recovery happened through the Work-Ordered Day. It’s the thing that helped me gain confidence and purpose, build resilience, and learn how to advocate for myself.”
It’s been three years since Willie has been hospitalized and he credits Clubhouse for helping him realize recovery. He’s been working with AIM Center’s Employment Resource Center to achieve his employment goals and today he’s a driver for an airport shuttle company. He recalls a hallmark experience at his last job that shows the incredible growth he has experienced through his Clubhouse. “My boss found out I was living with mental illness and apologized because she said if she had known she would have treated me differently. I immediately told her no, please do not treat me any differently than anyone else. I asked only for grace and patience and did not want or need any special treatment.”
In addition to steady work, Willie now has stable housing through AIM Center Housing, where he has lived since May 2018, and is back in school. “I’m six classes away from earning my associate’s degree and I plan to continue my education. A dream of mine is to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner, but I would be happy doing any meaningful work that sets out to help others.” The helper in him wants to change how care is delivered and to bring more dignity and respect to those living with serious mental illness. “Some of my physicians did not listen to me and even talked over me in quick five-minute appointments. I want to be a nurse practitioner that truly listens to my patients, takes the time to get to know them and helps them in their recovery journey because I have been in their shoes.”
Willie’s personal life has also improved through Clubhouse. When he first became a member, he met his now fiancée, Megan, during orientation. It was a time when he never believed he would find love or someone truly special. Megan has been a constant source of support both inside and outside the Clubhouse, walking alongside him through growth, healing, and transformation. What began in that shared orientation space has grown into nearly nine years together and a life they are now preparing to build as husband and wife.
Willie’s a testament to the efficacy of the Clubhouse Model. He recommends those currently struggling to get involved somewhere, including at Clubhouse if one is nearby. “You have to want the change. It will require hard work but your recovery is so worth it.”
Learn more about the Clubhouse Model and the value of the Work-Ordered Day and see if there is a Clubhouse near you.