Galveston County residents living with mental illness will have a better chance at sustained recovery because of the generosity of the Texas Bar Foundation. The Foundation recently granted to the Galveston County Clubhouse, Inc. (Galveston Clubhouse) “startup money for office & kitchen supplies, office equipment & staff training.”
The Galveston Clubhouse is a new organization created by and for individuals seeking community, opportunities to work, and support in their recovery from mental illness. Over the past two years, the County has established new services and programs for persons with mental illness, most notably the creation of a Mental Health Specialty Court, developed by Senior District Court Judge Wayne Mallia. This Court, like others added to justice systems across the country, diverts offending persons diagnosed with mental illness into programs and treatments in place of jail time and is proving effective at reducing the number of persons jailed for crimes related to a mental illness. While the new Speciality Court options are often very effective, some individuals in these programs and treatments are simply going home to the same environment and relationships that predicated law-enforcement involvement in the first place. Something new is needed to break this cycle of relapse for so many of our neighbors. Following a year of work by a group of community leaders convened by Judge Mallia, the Galveston Clubhouse emerged as the next essential solution for persons in Galveston County living with mental illness. “Clubhouse,” an evidence-based/best practice intervention successfully modeled worldwide for over 75 years, addresses two missing elements identified in the lives of many persons who live with mental illness: (1) The lack of personal support systems within a group of friends, and (2) The lack of meaningful work experience.
Clubhouse is a proven, internationally recognized approach to providing transformative support to persons living with mental illness. An individual’s engagement with Clubhouse is rooted in genuine, mutual relationships and strengths-based volunteer opportunities. This model of community-based support was accepted for inclusion in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-Based Practices and Programs in 2011. SAMHSA’s Community Mental Health Services’ Community Support Program funded 14 similar programs, and SAMHSA’s recent 2019-2023 Strategic Plan calls for “expanding use of community recovery support systems such as Clubhouses.” There are over 340 clubhouses worldwide, including 10 in the State of Texas.
Even though Clubhouse is non-clinical in its approach, it is still transformative for persons with mental illness and an essential therapeutic approach that relies on the intentional community to help people recover from mental illness. The Clubhouse Community, made up both of trained professionals and other individuals recovering from mental illness, is designed to provide psychosocial rehabilitation for individuals who choose to participate. In this community space, these participant “members” develop emotional, cognitive, and social skills, and get holistic support in all aspects of their lives. The goal is to address the social symptoms of mental illness that cannot be directly managed with medication alone, while also giving access to support with care management, employment, and housing opportunities, as well as wellness activities.
The members of the Galveston Clubhouse Board of Directors, Judge Wayne Mallia, Thomas J. Wooten, Jerry Freshour (Gulf Coast Center), Jan Melis (NAMI Gulf Coast), Felicia Jeffery (Gulf Coast Center), Fred Raschke, Dr. Jared M. Williams (Family Service Center), Jaime Castro, David Swyers (Salvation Army), Jack Easterday (Gulf Coast Center), and Randall Robinson, Executive Director (ex officio) are all grateful for the forward-thinking leaders of the Texas Bar Foundation and their generous support.
For more information, visit the Galveston Clubhouse website, www.galvestonclubhouse.org or call the Clubhouse at 409-766-0158.
