RACINE FRIENDSHIP CLUBHOUSE INC
2000 17TH STREET, RACINE, WI 53403

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The Racine Friendship Clubhouse changes lives and inspires hope and opportunity for persons with a mental illness. Program Objective: Improve quality of life, mental health symptoms, and job readiness skills for adults with mental illness by providing a supportive, welcoming environment where adults living with serious mental illness can connect with their peers and build or strengthen their support network. Educational and support groups are offered with time prior to and afterwards for peers to interact, share their personal experiences, gain insight and circulate ideas.

The Racine Friendship Clubhouse has been assisting adults living with mental illness for over 20 years. Based on the Clubhouse model of psychosocial education, Racine Friendship Clubhouse, Inc. is the only program in Racine County dedicated to supporting people with serious mental illnesses as they achieve social, educational, and vocational goals. This is achieved by implementing two program elements; The Work-ordered Day enables people to learn daily living skills to remain independent, employed, and manage their mental health symptoms. The Vocational Department provides job readiness skills, coaching, and assistance in securing employment. Together these two elements support participants in learning coping strategies, building and expanding a support network, regaining their sense of purpose and improved overall mental health and quality of life.The Clubhouse Model was accepted for inclusion on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Registr

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 natural environment for enhancement of life skills. Through the WOD, participants naturally engage in a working community of peers. 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 participants 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, copying, filing, faxing, typing, and other general office duties, building maintenance and gardening, supply inventory and shopping. Through these work activities, participants 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. Vocational ComponentRacine Friendship Clubhouse, Inc. (RFC) is the only program specifically designed for adults with serious mental illness. Once a participant has attended the Clubhouse and participated in the daily Work-ordered Day program (WOD) for four weeks, they have access to a Job Coach in the Vocational Department. RFC participants 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 education, schedule setting and follow-through. Participants in the Vocational Department learn job-readiness skills including: how to present themselves to potential employers, fill out a job application on paper and online, 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. The ultimate goal of employment or volunteer work can often be a long road, but participants are learning important job-readiness hard and soft skills throughout the process. Peer Connection Peer SupportRFC provides an environment for sincere peer support to flourish. Individuals with serious mental illness are often uncomfortable in their community and may become isolated from others. Symptoms caused by serious mental illness can include paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and severe depression leading individuals to withdraw further from society, isolating even deeper. The Clubhouse disrupts that negative trajectory by providing a safe environment, supportive relationships and soft skill education to help individuals with serious mental illness move forward and have meaningful lives with purpose. Some participants have described the Clubhouse as, "friendly and home-like" and that the "special ingredient is the peer connection."

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