Causes: Mental Health, Mental Health Treatment

Mission: The racine friendship clubhouse has been helping adults living with mental illness for over 20 years. The program helps participant members gain real life experience; it prepares them for future jobs, and gives them opportunities to create brand new friendships. The clubhouse focuses on participant members strengths, and really lets each and every individual shine. The racine friendship clubhouse believes that each participant member is responsible for his or her own recovery, and the staff works to create a healthy environment for their participant members to grow and learn. Through this program, participant members learn about themselves as individuals, and most of all, they get to be a part of something bigger than just their mental illnesses. They learn to embrace what makes them different and use it to enrich their own lives. Racine friendship clubhouse, inc. Operates using the clubhouse model of psychosocial education. There are over 300 clubhouses worldwide and only 5 in wiscons

Programs: Work-ordered day (wod)a main component of the clubhouse model is the work-ordered day (wod). The wod program operates with 100% voluntary participation and is free to all who wish to participate. This mental health daily living and coping skill building program is designed to offer a holistic environment for enhancement of life skills. Through the work-ordered day (wod), participants naturally engage in a working community of peers. Through work and work mediated activities, participant members build a firm foundation for personal growth. Participant members are taught coping strategies, wellness habits and communication skills. They learn how to follow a schedule and the importance of following through on appointments. The program is open monday friday. Each day participant members have opportunities to work directly with staff to carry out the business of the day. Examples include, : co-leading meetings and coping skills groups, handling cash transactions and making bank deposits, planning, preparing and serving lunch for an average of 25 people daily, answering telephones, tracking attendance and progress of goals, copying, filing, faxing, typing, and other general office duties, building maintenance and, gardening, supply inventory and shopping. Through these work activities, participant members regain their sense of self- worth, find purpose, improve their mood and outlook on life, and learn valuable coping skills to help them move forward in their mental health recovery. Some participant members have described the clubhouse as, friendly and home-like and that the special ingredient is the peer connection. Vocational componentthrough the vocational program, participant members have access to a job coach who can work with them one-on-one or in a group. Participant members learn job-readiness skills including: how to present themselves, fill out a job application on paper and on line, interview skills, basic computer skills, and coping skills while on the job. They have the opportunity for job coach support in gaining an interview, during the interview, and while on the job. Rfc participant members have often been out of the workforce for a number of years due to the severity of their mental health symptoms. As a result, their job-coaching might begin with very basic hygiene coaching, setting a schedule and follow-through. The ultimate goal of employment or volunteer work can often be a long road, but participant members are learning important job-readiness skills throughout the process. Peer connection peer supportmost importantly, racine friendship clubhouse, inc. Offers a place of hope and healing to participant members that often find themselves on the fringe of society. There is power in being with others that share in your life experiences. The peer connection participant members find at the clubhouse truly enriches their lives and the lives of those around them. 149 clients were served in 2017