To guide their quest, the group turned to Fountain House in New York City which, since 1948, has been a pioneer in the international development of comprehensive community-based programs of psychiatric rehabilitation facilitating social and vocational adjustment. The success of their work is clearly evidenced by over 275 replications of the "clubhouse model" in this country and abroad. The fruits of their collaboration were realized when Clubhouse of Suffolk opened the doors to its first clubhouse in January of 1991 in Ronkonkoma.

The opening of the first clubhouse generated huge interest among people in recovery in Suffolk County who sought avenues to productive and socially-satisfying roles. In response to this demand, Clubhouse has grown in the size and range of its recovery-driven activities in order to realize the vision of our founders and the dreams of the people who use our services.

Agency Description/Budget
Clubhouse of Suffolk is a non-profit organization that was begun in 1990 by people who have adult children with serious and disabling forms of mental illness. Clubhouse currently assists people from ages 17-80 to achieve recovery from these disabilities so they can attain vocationally productive and socially satisfying roles and lifestyles with the least amount of professional intervention. Clubhouse serves nearly 1000 people each year in a range of rehabilitation and support services. Through our supported employment programs, over 200 people attain competitive employment - better than half of whom have never worked or not worked in over five years due to their disability. Clubhouse of Suffolk's annual budget exceeds $3.0 million, most of which comes from State and County contracts. Nearly 85 cents of every dollar spent goes to direct services.

Overview of Services

• Work-Oriented Day Program
  People disabled by mental illness face extraordinary obstacles to achieving their vocational goals. In addition to the stigma one faces when attempting to secure a job, people in recovery often need skills and support to reclaim stamina and self-confidence. The Clubhouse Work-Oriented Day, the foundation of the clubhouse model, helps by offering structured yet flexible experiences, guidance, and peer support necessary to regain impaired abilities as well as personal hope and direction.

  Members and staff work side-by-side to accomplish all the elements of the business and activities of the clubhouse. Members find meaningful experience in the full-service kitchen, the computer-intensive Clerical unit, the human service work of the Membership unit, and other areas critical to the smooth functioning of the Clubhouse. Through the caring, skilled staff and each other, members recognize and appreciate their own unique abilities, contributions, and potentials. Average daily attendance is 80 members in Ronkonkoma, and 30 members in Riverhead.

  Funding is paid for by grants from the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH).

• Pathways Project Intensive Rehabilitation (IPRT)
  Utilizing a highly successful, psychiatric rehabilitation model refined at the Boston University School of Rehabilitation, Pathways assists people in recovery who can utilize a "fast track" approach to refining and attaining their goals around work, education, housing, leisure, or personal relationships.

  Working one-on-one, in small and large group settings, Pathways helps an individual design a Personal Rehabilitation Plan to assist in reaching specific goals. Designed as an adult learning center, Pathways Project staff members are licensed or certified professionals, trained in using contemporary tools and techniques of psychiatric rehabilitation.

  Pathways Project participation is generally less than 15 hours per week, so a participant can continue to make use of other treatment, supports, training, or personal activities in which they are involved. Average active enrollment on a two-month semester basis is 70 participants. Daily attendance is 25-30 participants.

  The Project's funding is covered by fee-for-service Medicaid or an arranged sliding scale fee. A licensed and certified program through NYS OMH.

• Employment Programs and Services
  For people whose lives have been disrupted by serious mental illness, the road to successfully resuming and maintaining employment can be filled with frustrating and treacherous barriers. Those who are successful in entering the work force must confront obstacles posed by the effects of medication, concerns about self-confidence or stamina, symptoms of illness, transportation, interpersonal challenges with co-workers — including stigma — and the impact of employment earnings on public entitlement program benefits.

  Clubhouse of Suffolk's Employment Services offer a wide range of services that can be individually tailored to assist people whose work history has been interrupted or for those who may have never worked competitively. Participants are matched with experienced rehabilitation and support staff who custom-design a program aimed at reaching one's personal goals.

  • Transitional Employment (TE):
    Part of our clubhouse-based services, TEs are highly-supported, part-time six-month job placements that serve to build confidence and stamina while repairing gaps in work history. Twenty active TE placement per month;
  • Enclaves:
    Short-term (one day to one week) jobs with a group that provides opportunities for quick income and self-assessment while preparing for more intensive employment;
  • Assisted Competitive Employment (ACE):
    Part-time and full-time job placements with flexible, individualized strategies for on-site and off-site support. Serves 60 people per month;
  • Independent Employment Services (IES):
    Extended support and rehabilitation services that assist people to maintain their employment or upgrade their career. Serves 66 people per month.
  • Services Include:
    • "Back To Work" Seminar Series
      
    • Flexible, mobile employment assistance
      
    • Entitlements planning and management
      
    • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations
      
    • On-the-job/Job coach assistance
      
    • Peer support and celebration
      
    • Linkages to other services

• Housing Services
  Any quality psychiatric rehabilitation program recognizes that it must attend to the circumstances in which people live. As such, Clubhouse of Suffolk directly operates an 18-bed Supported Housing Program, which offers independent living situations with individually designed support. In addition, Clubhouse assists people who use any of our programs to access a wide range of housing resources across Suffolk County. Housing services are funded through HUD and grants from NYS OMH.

• Transportation Services
  People whose lives are disrupted by disabling forms of mental illness often suffer setbacks to their mobility and lack access to important community resources. Effects of illness, medications, or the challenges of reliance on public entitlement programs can serve as barriers to attaining satisfying life roles. The Community Access Project helps people find solutions to these barriers.

  The Community Access Project assists individuals with mental illness in actively and independently utilizing the resources of Suffolk County that enhance and enrich personal lives and lifestyles. The Project uses peer counselors as trainers and designs creative, individualized mobility strategies to overcome transportation obstacles. The Project is funded through a grant from NYS OMH.

Evening/Weekend Social Activities — Opportunities to develop relationships, interests, and social lifestyles. Included are trips, sports, retreats, coffee houses, self-help groups, dances, and more. Average attendance is 40 members per day.
Supported Education — Opportunities to gain a GED, improve literacy and improve computing skills are available. Support for members starting or returning to college is also provided.
Medication and Symptom Management Education — Peer education to assist people to better understand and monitor illness and to effectively manage the use of psychiatric medications. A community outreach project that serves over 500 consumers per year.
Creative Arts — Opportunities to participate in peer-facilitated fine arts, crafts, creative writing, drama, and other expressive modalities.
Drop-In Center (Riverhead Site) — A peer-run recreational and self-help program, operating three evenings per week. Average attendance is 30 members per night.

New Programs and Services to Start in 2001

Case Management — Eastern-end of Suffolk County only, from the town Riverhead to Orient Point and Montauk Point. Six case managers assigned (one Intensive CM, five Supportive CMs). Set to start June 1, 2001. Projected to serve 200 consumers. Funded by Medicaid.
Supported Education Project — A significant expansion of current supported education services, funded through a NYS OMH grant. Focus will be upon assisting individuals in pursuing a college education. A collaborative arrangement with Suffolk Community College and SUNY Stony Brook. Set to start June 1, 2001.

Site Locations
Clubhouse of Suffolk (Ronkonkoma)
939 Johnson Avenue, P.O. Box 373
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
Tel 631.471.7242
Fax 631.471.5150

Synergy Center
210 Court Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
Tel 631.369.0022
Fax 631.369.3556