Belonging is part of recovery. It breaks isolation, builds confidence, and connects us to a life of possibility.
For World Mental Health Day 2026, Clubhouse International is bringing the global Clubhouse community together around a powerful message: BelongingWORKS. Observed annually on October 10, World Mental Health Day is a global movement to raise awareness, fight stigma, and advocate for better mental health for all. In 2026 our message highlights the powerful solution that Clubhouses offer for overcoming isolation and promoting mental health recovery: a place everyone belongs.
Belonging is at the heart of the Clubhouse Model. It gives people a place where they are accepted, needed and valued; the opportunity to build meaningful relationships, rediscover strengths, and reconnect with work, purpose, and community.
Why BelongingWORKS
Loneliness and social disconnection are increasingly recognized as major public health challenges. Research shows that strong social connections are associated with better health and well-being, while loneliness can have serious consequences for both physical and mental health.
The World Health Organization reports that 1 in 6 people worldwide experiences loneliness, and that stronger social connections are linked to better health and a longer life.
A 2026 study by the University of Bristol, Nesta and Amsterdam UMC found that people who feel lonely are much more likely to experience poorer mental health and lower wellbeing. Loneliness was also found to be linked with worse general health, including experiencing multiple health conditions.
According to Stanford’s Belonging Project, people develop a sense of belonging when they feel meaningfully connected to others, particularly people who share aspects of their lived experience, interests, or goals. Environments that support belonging can promote health, engagement, and human flourishing.
How Clubhouses Put Belonging Into Action
At Clubhouses around the world, we see it every day: belonging changes lives.
The Clubhouse Model is a community-based approach to mental health recovery built on the belief that every person has strengths and contributions to offer. Members and staff work side-by-side as equals, and members have opportunities for meaningful work, education, and purpose, all within a supportive community.
In a world where disconnection too often defines the experience of mental illness, Clubhouses offer something different: a place to belong, build meaningful connections, and discover hope together.
“Belonging is more than having a place to go it is knowing that you are welcomed, valued, needed, and that your presence matters. At the Clubhouse, we don’t just find a community; we become part of one.”
Kadija Still, Elements House – Lower East Side, NY, USA
What BelongingWORKS Campaign Will Do
This campaign is an opportunity for the Clubhouse International network to unite, showing the world that belonging transforms lives – and inviting everyone to join us in building a more connected, inclusive world where no one has to face recovery alone.
Together, we will:
Showcase the Clubhouse Model as a community-based approach to mental health recovery that puts belonging and connection into action.
Amplify the voices of Clubhouse members, sharing powerful stories of how belonging builds confidence, connection, purpose, and opportunity.
Engage the broader public in understanding the role of belonging in mental health and recovery.
Highlight community partnerships between Clubhouses and local businesses, universities, hospitals, organizations, and other partners that create pathways to opportunity and inclusion.
Strengthen advocacy for belonging as a vital element of mental health recovery.
Because everyone deserves a place where they belong.
Interested in learning more or joining the campaign? Email getinvolved@clubhouse-intl.org.
A Global Movement for Belonging
BelongingWORKS is a powerful opportunity for the Clubhouse International network to unite, and to invite the world to join us in building more connected, inclusive communities.
We are partnering with the World Federation for Mental Health and aligning with the World Health Organization and other global mental health advocates.
“Without Clubhouse I would be stuck in my room playing online games with fake friends. For the first time in my life, I’ve made real friends who really care about me. Clubhouse allows me to be myself without any labels. Here everyone is more accepting.“
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