Clubhouse International Is Meeting the Mental Health Need

Inside northern Michigan’s Clubhouses, "the best-kept secret in our community"

By Kierstin Gunsberg | Nov. 9, 2024

Whether they’re sharing jokes over homemade holiday meals or heading to the store to stock up on essentials for the week, members of northern Michigan’s Clubhouse International affiliates spend their days creating a sense of community and looking out for each other.

Focused on supporting people living with mental illness, Clubhouse International (CI) is a global nonprofit whose goal is to end the social and economic isolation surrounding a mental health diagnosis by empowering its members toward recovery and independence. Clubhouse members, who join by referral through their local mental health agencies, meet at their local Clubhouse throughout the week. There, they receive peer and personal development support in a non-clinical setting. 

CI’s first club—New York’s Fountain House—was opened in 1948. Since then, the model has expanded to over 350 Clubhouses across 32 countries, with Michigan holding the record (at over 40!) for most Clubhouse International accredited clubhouses in the country.

Meet three of them making a positive impact right here in northern Michigan.

Who: Petoskey Club
Areas Served: Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet Counties

It’s all hands on deck at Petoskey Club, where every member is needed to keep things running smoothly throughout the workweek. From serving lunch to other members out of their commercial kitchen and tidying up around the facility to researching grants and making business calls, the club’s nearly 50 active members all play an important role in the day-to-day.

“The big decisions on things like where big money is going to be spent goes to the membership,” explains Petoskey Club director Leslie Elrod, adding that staff input is minimal in the member-run environment. “They [members] decide what activities are going to be offered, all those sorts of things.”

Autonomy is foundational to all CI affiliates, who practice under the organization’s model of psychosocial rehabilitation, where members are seen not just for their inherent value but as critical members of society within the Clubhouse—and beyond.

Globally, one in eight people experience a mental health disorder, according to the World Health Organization. Those affected most severely experience symptoms that interfere with their daily life. Because of this, Elrod says all members are met exactly where they’re at, and everyone participating in a Clubhouse is there because they want to be—the whole experience is voluntary once they’ve been referred by a participating agency.

For some, making it to Petoskey Club, which offers transportation to members who need it, is a really big first step in and of itself. Once members feel ready, they take part in something called The Work Ordered Day (WOD), a cornerstone of CI’s model that involves attending meetings, completing tasks, and working with others in the Clubhouse in a way that mirrors a professional environment.

From there, they practice time management, teamwork, and multitasking, whether by working with the Club’s Culinary Unit whipping up meals or taking on a role with the Clerical Unit handling things like billing. Routine helps members build consistency and stamina, says Elrod. 

“We’ve seen people who had agoraphobia and couldn’t leave their house come here,” she tells us. “They’re able to grow and lead meetings, do great projects, and work and self-advocate. We’ve had other people who were completely withdrawn who then went and presented at a conference… It just builds them up to a point where they’re able to be themselves again and not the illness.”

To learn more about Petoskey Club call (231) 347-1786 

Who: Club Cadillac
Areas Served: Wexford and Missaukee Counties

While Club Cadillac’s active membership of 85 includes people well into their 80s, director Amy Kotulski thinks one of the best things about the Clubhouse is how it provides a judgment-free zone for young adults to learn essential life skills. “We’re a great transition center for youth moving into adulthood,” she says.

Navigating adulthood even on the best days can feel chaotic, especially for the one in 10 young adults living with a serious mental illness (SMI) in the U.S. An SMI is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as “a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.” 

But Kotulski and others in the Clubhouse community believe that recovery from mental health symptoms is possible when people are given the opportunity to regain what’s often lost when symptoms become unmanageable: connection and support.

“When they come to the clubhouse, they immediately get community and a non-judgmental, listening ear,” she says. “We welcome everybody with open arms,” and with that support, says Kotulski, members’ confidence and well-being grows as their goals expand.

For many, a goal is gaining employment.

Club Cadillac helps members reach that goal through transitional employment partnerships with places like YMCA, Blue Heron Cafe, and Goodwill. Most recently, Club Cadillac partnered with Wildflour Bakery where a member began a part-time front-of-house role at the downtown bakery, taking orders, mixing custom bobas, and serving up fresh baked goods to customers. These transitional partnerships provide recent work experience and job references as members hone their skill set and work toward financial stability.

In the meantime, says Kotulski, “We’re a good place to make mistakes and learn adulting in a safe space.” 

To learn more about Club Cadillac call (231) 775-5638

Who: Traverse House
Areas Served: Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties 

Having fun together is as important as working hard together. Clubhouses go on putt-putt outings, host fundraisers at Cherry Festival, and gather for crafts when the weather turns chilly. They also participate in regional conferences and events to raise awareness for their mission. Because for every barrier that northern Michigan’s Clubhouses are overcoming, there’s still work to be done to ensure inclusion and stability for their members. 

Much of that work involves addressing the factors that impact mental wellness outside of Clubhouse hours. 

“Affordable housing continues to be a need in our community,” says Hannah Driver, director of Traverse House, which is located in the Northern Lakes Community Mental Health building. “When an individual living with mental illness is also experiencing homelessness, it is almost impossible to gain any level of stability.”

Indeed, the latest data from Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness reports that here in northern Michigan, the total unhoused population jumped by a jarring 56 percent between 2021 and 2022, while also showing that 23 percent of the state’s unhoused adults have a diagnosed mental health condition.

In response, Traverse House works closely with Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing, Safe Harbor, and Goodwill Inn “to provide wrap-around support for our mutual clients.”

Besides offering housing support, Traverse House also partners with the Before, During and After Incarceration (BDAI) program to help those living with mental illness and returning from incarceration receive reentry support.

“Having strong education around mental health services is imperative,” Driver says, noting that community awareness efforts, like hosting weekly Clubhouse tours, aim to make Traverse House better known among organizations, employers, and legislators. “We have wonderful human service agencies, but at times people fall through the cracks because there is not enough information about how to refer or what programs they qualify for,” she adds. “Too many times we’ve been told that ‘Traverse House is the best-kept secret in our community.’”

To learn more about Traverse House call (231) 922-2060.