The program provides an accepting place to spend the day, valuable work to perform within the organization, opportunities to socialize with friends and co-workers, and access to employment within the wider community. For example, Clubhouse members bring cut flowers donated by Trader Joe's to the John Muir Behavioral Health Center and work with inpatients to make flower arrangements for patients' visitors.
Membership is for life and at no cost to participants. The clubhouse model enables people living with mental illness to rebuild their lives. Participants—called members, not patients—share ownership and responsibility for the organization's success. While participating in all aspects of operation in partnership with a small staff, they build on strengths instead of focusing on illness. Learn more about the Putnam Clubhouse
"The Clubhouse is where I go to rebuild a meaningful and productive life while recovering from mental illness."
Participant Story
I was homeless when I first started attending the program and the Clubhouse assisted me with finding housing. Ever since, I've lived independently in an apartment. When I joined the Clubhouse, I'd been unemployed for about a dozen years and spent most of my time on the street panhandling. The Clubhouse helped me find a job and I'm proud to say I've been working for almost a year as a carpet cleaner. The Clubhouse is where I go to rebuild a meaningful and productive life while recovering from mental illness. From homeless to living in an apartment and from unemployed to having a job, the Clubhouse has supported me every step of the way. Recovery at the Clubhouse comes from being involved in productive work and from building positive relationships at the Clubhouse. I learned to cook while making meals with the other members to serve to members each day at the Clubhouse. And guess what? I discovered that I really like cooking. So when the Clubhouse multimedia lab started a cooking show, they asked me to be the chef. Our show is called Chef's Corner. Each segment, produced by members and staff together, focuses on preparing a recipe that's affordable, healthy and doesn't require a fancy kitchen.