Training | Clubhouse International

Clubhouse International Shares Best Practices through Global Training Programs

Clubhouse International coordinates effective and time-tested training programs through our 12 International Training Center Clubhouses. Clubhouse training brings staff and people with real-life experience of mental illness together in a full-immersion program to learn all aspects of Clubhouse operations. Together with our Training Center partners, we provided over 52,000 training hours to over 380 participants from 132 Clubhouses in 2022. Training offerings include:

Comprehensive training sessions that focus on vital aspects of our Clubhouse model. The goal is to promote the growth and development of the Accredited Clubhouse model worldwide; and
Focused one-week track trainings in specific areas of Clubhouse operations, including employment, work-ordered day, young adults, director seminars, housing, and more.
WANA Webinars featuring guest speakers from Clubhouses in the U.S. and around the world on best practices for running a successful Clubhouse.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive New Clubhouse Development training and mentoring program for Clubhouse Startup Groups. Use the links below for more information.

Quick Links:

New Clubhouse Development Training
Training Programs for Current Member Clubhouses
WANA Webinars Best Practices for Running a Successful Clubhouse
Clubhouse International Training Calendar
To apply for a Training Program online, click on the word Portal in the upper right-hand corner of this web page, and login to your Clubhouse International account.

Clubhouse International Training Programs

Training Program attendee feedback is consistently positive: “This was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I met incredible individuals. I love working in my role as a staff member and this training has given me the structure to be engaging and dynamic at my clubhouse.” Staff Member, Rainbow Clubhouse

New Clubhouse Development Training

Clubhouse International launched a New Clubhouse Development Training (NCD) in 2006 to help interested groups start Clubhouses in their communities. As of August 2022, 127 Groups from twelve (13) countries (Sweden, Japan, Canada, Australia, West Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Congo, Turkey, Mongolia, Romania, USA) have participated in 25 NCD GroupTrainings. Overall, 80% opened a Clubhouse or are making progress towards doing so.

Comprehensive Clubhouse Training

Clubhouse International’s 12 training bases are housed in some of the strongest Clubhouses in the world. They are located in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Hong Kong, Norway, South Korea, and the United States. Participants have the opportunity to experience the culture of working with people who have mental illness in a uniquely experiential program. They are fully immersed into all aspects of the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs. An individual action plan is then developed, specifically to meet the goals of each participating Clubhouse.

Specialized Track Trainings

Specialized Track Trainings are one-week training sessions that are focused on a particular aspect of our International Standards for Clubhouse Programs. They are currently offered by various training bases in the areas of Housing, Work-ordered Day, Transitional Employment, Leadership, Young Adult, and Supported Education.

Fountain House Fellowship (for anyone who aspires to be a Clubhouse Director)

Fountain House New York announces an executive Fellowship for individuals who aspire to be clubhouse directors. As an immersion program, Fellows will integrate state of the art management techniques with the ideals and approach to practice of Fountain House. The Fellowship is open to anyone who aspires to be a clubhouse director, including applications from outside the United States.

New Clubhouse Development Training

Our next New Clubhouse Development Training will be held virtually on May 13, 14 and 16, 2024. Cost: $1,800.00 per group (group minimum is 3, maximum is 6).

To Apply:

Contact Jack Yatsko, Chief Operating Officer, Clubhouse International at 808-651-8598 or via email at jyatsko@clubhouse-intl.org
If you are unable to complete your application from the Portal, click here to download and email to us the pdf application.

Our most recent New Clubhouse Development Virtual Training was held December 4, 5 and 7, 2023. We had four groups participating from Washington, D.C.; Sandpoint, Idaho; Ramsey, Minnesota; and Warsaw, Indiana.

We would like to thank Genesis Club in Massachusetts, The Academy at Glengary in Florida as well as all of our trainers for helping us to carry out this training. We hope to welcome new Clubhouses from these areas in the future!

Clubhouse International has now trained 136 new start-up groups from across the globe with approximately 80% of them successfully starting new Clubhouses!

More Information about New Clubhouse Development Training

“This training was amazing -- with the slides, videos, manual, excellent speakers -- I don’t see how it can be improved! The training allowed me to believe that this is a very doable process to have a successful Clubhouse and how to get there!!!” - Training participant

“It opened my mind to potential I didn’t fully realize and the steps needed to reach that potential. It was like lighting a match in a dark cave!” - Training participant

New Clubhouse Development Training specifically targets new working groups that are seeking guidance with the initial steps in starting a Clubhouse It emphasizes the development of local volunteer boards to help develop and sustain the growth of the Clubhouse, and draws from the experience of many of the most successful Clubhouse International Clubhouses.

The training is an intensive and interactive two day session for groups of 3-6 people. Individualized Action Plans are developed and each group is assigned a Clubhouse International consultant to provide up to a year of ongoing mentoring and support. The New Clubhouse Development Training curriculum includes the following:

Veteran leaders from both Clubhouse International and accredited Clubhouses conducting the training sessions and sharing best practices to start and sustain a Clubhouse
Training manual including all materials and additional resources
A guided tour of an Accredited Clubhouse
Development of a detailed Action Plan outlining the necessary steps to start the Clubhouse
Individual Mentorship from a seasoned Clubhouse International leader for one year following the training
Access to Clubhouse International start-up group resources

Our goal is to inspire and help organize a committed start-up group to insure the successful development, growth and sustainability of an Accredited Clubhouse for decades to come. At the end of the training and follow-up coaching, participants will have developed and/or strengthened their vision for an effective Clubhouse in their community and the beginnings of a long-term strategic plan to accomplish that vision. The plan will be uniquely designed to fit the community where the new Clubhouse is located. The new Clubhouse will then have access to all of the training and ongoing support currently available to other Clubhouse International member Clubhouses.

Training Programs for Current Member Clubhouses

First Time Participants (New Clubhouses) $ 7,000 USD

This three-week training experience is designed for new start-up Clubhouses or programs converting to the Clubhouse model from another service approach. Tuition includes training and lodging for the Clubhouse director, one staff person and one member. Additionally, tuition includes training and lodging for an individual with administrative oversight responsibility for the Clubhouse for the last week of the training program. The tuition fee includes a post-site visit to the Clubhouse for onsite consultation and assistance, approximately six to nine months after the training.

Two Week Intensive Training Option

An Intensive two week training option is also available on a limited basis at several Training Bases. Fees for two week training are the same as above. See Training Calendar for dates.

This two-week training experience is designed for new start-up Clubhouses or programs converting to the Clubhouse model from another service approach. Tuition includes training and lodging for the Clubhouse director, one staff person and one member. Additionally, tuition includes training and lodging for an individual with administrative oversight responsibility for the Clubhouse for the last week of the training program. The tuition fee includes a post-site visit to the Clubhouse for onsite consultation and assistance, approximately six to nine months after the training. The two week training is not generally recommended for new Clubhouses due to the shortened overall training experience. However, please contact the selected Clubhouse International Training Base for further consultation.

Ongoing Training (Established Clubhouses) $ 5,000 USD

This three-week training experience is equivalent to training for first time participants but is designed for Clubhouses where the Clubhouse director has already been to training. Tuition includes training and lodging for one member and one staff person for three weeks. Additionally, tuition includes training and lodging for an individual with administrative oversight responsibility for the last week of the training program. Post training site visits are negotiable and are scheduled six to nine months after the training experience. Clubhouses requesting a post training site visit will be responsible to pay expenses which exceed $500.00 USD.

Additional participants for the entire training period = $2,000 USD per person
Additional administrators for the last week of training = $900 USD per person

Two Week Intensive Training Option

An Intensive two week training option is also available on a limited basis at several Training Bases. Fees for two week training are the same as above. See Training Calendar for dates.

This two-week training experience is equivalent to training for first time participants but is designed for Clubhouses where the Clubhouse director has already been to training. Tuition includes training and lodging for one member and one staff person for two weeks. Additionally, tuition includes training and lodging for an individual with administrative oversight responsibility for the last week of the training program. Post training site visits are negotiable and are scheduled six to nine months after the training experience. Clubhouses requesting a post training site visit will be responsible to pay expenses which exceed $500.00 USD. Please contact the selected Clubhouse International Training Base for further consultation on whether the two week intensive or three week training is best suited for your Clubhouse.

Additional participants for the entire training period = $2,000 USD per person
Additional administrators for the last week of training = $900 USD per person

One Week Specialized Track Training $ 2,000 USD

This training is designed for established Clubhouses with specific issues or interests related to employment, education, residential, work-ordered day, young adult programming (for Accredited Clubhouse only) or leadership concerns at the Clubhouse. Tuition includes training and lodging for one staff person and one member during the weeklong training.

Additional participants = $900USD per person

Three Day Orientation/Overview Visit $ 1,000 USD

A three-day introduction to the Clubhouse model is provided for interested individuals not currently affiliated with an established Clubhouse. This orientation is meant to be a brief overview of the Clubhouse way of working and not a substitute for Clubhouse training. Tuition includes the overview program and lodging for two people (a mental health consumer and a staff person or other interested party) for two nights and three days.

Additional participants = $500 USD per person

Training Program FAQ

Why is Basic Clubhouse Training Three Weeks?

In Clubhouse training we learn about a culture, a way of working with people that is vastly different from the traditional day treatment programs. This is a comprehensive package, which will benefit the entire Clubhouse community, not just the participants. Thus, we have found that the three week training is the right amount of time to impart these concepts and provide colleagues the time needed to absorb them and be able to implement them into their Clubhouses.
Three weeks is indeed a long time commitment. However, the training experience will be unlike any other training that you have received. The training will impart specific philosophies and practices in the eight sections of the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs that will help your Clubhouse provide wonderful opportunities for members to achieve their hopes and dreams and become respected members of society.

Note: There is a two week training option offered by several training bases on a limited basis (see the Training Calendar for availability). We encourage interested Clubhouses to contact those Training Bases offering this option to discuss if this training is an appropriate option for their particular group.

Why does the Administrator come on the Third Week and Not Sooner?

The role of the Administrator is different than the roles of staff and members, and therefore there are different learning objectives. Staff and members need to understand fully and be able to incorporate in practice, the core values and components that a clubhouse is comprised of. The Administrator provides oversight responsibility.
For example, organization of a work unit and creating meaningful work, providing expanded reach out efforts, and understanding the powerful nature of the relationship aspect in the Clubhouse model are key ingredients that staff and members must be able to bring back and integrate into the Clubhouse on a daily basis.
Administrators need to understand the philosophy and help create supports to help the Action Plan succeed. But they do not have the same responsibility in learning how to implement it when they return.

Which Training Base is the Best for our Program?

Each training base provides the same curriculum, one kept fresh by annual meetings of the training bases at which not only the curriculum, but other components of the training program are reviewed, critiqued and advanced through a consensus building process among Clubhouse International and Training Bases.
Each training base has its distinct features, and we encourage you to contact those you want to attend, or call our Training Director for additional information. Just as every Clubhouse has its own features that make each Clubhouse unique in its own way, so does each training base.

What is the schedule like? Do we have free time?

Each training base can send you a sample schedule of what exactly the three week schedule will cover that includes the time the days start and end. Some of them have these schedules on their websites. The days are busy and there are some evening activities scheduled. However, you will find that there is some free time available to do what you wish.
On the second weekend, most of the training bases schedule a weekend away when you will go to a different location than the guesthouse and have an opportunity to get to know each other better, and discuss any issues or questions that need further elaboration outside of the daily training process.

Who do we pay for the training and when do we need to pay the training fee?

The training fees get paid directly to the training base. Clubhouse International does not receive any percentage of training fees as these are used by the training bases to provide the supports needed to carry out the responsibilities of operating as a training base.
The training base will ask you to pay a 50% deposit prior to coming to training to reserve your space, and to ensure the Clubhouse is committed to the schedule and that a full group can enjoy the process together.

Who Benefits From Training?

Members and staff of programs working towards Clubhouse International Accreditation (TM)
Start-up programs or working groups seeking to implement a Clubhouse in their community
Established Clubhouses seeking to enhance their development and opportunities
Mental health treatment programs seeking to transition into Clubhouse model programs
Government officials, board members and mental health administrators

What are the Outcomes from Three Week Training?

Practical experience and a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental aspects of Clubhouse model practices that incorporate the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs. These are utilized by over 300 Clubhouses in 33 countries worldwide.
In depth exposure to
- A daily structure utilizing a Work Ordered Day
- An array of employment programs including Transitional, Supported and Independent Employment.
- Supported Education
- Housing
- Community supports
- Fundraising
- Social programs that occur evenings, weekends and holidays
- Administration of Clubhouses including structures of Clubhouse Boards or Management Committees
A detailed, written Action Plan, which outlines the goals developed in the training, and which serves as a strategic guide in which all the members, staff and Board can get involved.
More opportunities for members to achieve their individual aspirations and goals.
Learning about Clubhouse International Accreditation – a quality assurance process that assesses a Clubhouse’s fidelity to the International Standards for Clubhouse Programs and can be used by funding sources as an objective evaluation of the quality of services available at each Clubhouse.
A site visit from the training team to your Clubhouse approximately 6-9 months after the training has been completed. This brings international Clubhouse expertise into your community to review the goals on the Action Plan and provide further assistance to the Clubhouse. (This visit is generally included in the training fee unless the expenses exceed $500.00. Arrangements are negotiated by the training bases.)
A network of colleague relationships that can last for years to come!