Mental Health Advocates Urge Federal Lawmakers to Support Clubhouse Model
On September 30, Fountain House United and Clubhouse International co-hosted the first Recovery Is Possible Clubhouse Congressional Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. One hundred mental health Clubhouse community members and staff from 17 states met with federal lawmakers to advocate for their individual Clubhouses and for federal support of the national Clubhouse movement. Clubhouses are community-based organizations where individuals living with serious mental illness participate as members, working alongside staff to build community and pursue goals in areas such as employment, education, housing, and health. This model actively works to mitigate social and economic isolation. During the advocacy day, the organizations called on lawmakers to join the Clubhouse Caucus, aiming to engage every member of Congress whose district hosts a Clubhouse. This initiative seeks to increase congressional awareness of the proven role Clubhouses play within the broader mental health system and to advance community-based r...
