Gov. Kathy Hochul has committed $6.6 million to help develop a network of community spaces for people with serious mental health illnesses across the state.
The funding is earmarked for local hubs known as clubhouses, which are run by and for people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, severe depression and other conditions. The centers provide routine and recreation, while connecting people to housing, employability and education — aspects of life that can be significantly affected by a person’s condition.
At its core, officials said, the model aims to provide a fundamental human need that many people with mental illness struggle to access: social connection.
“Even just getting that initial diagnosis from a psychiatrist can be a really life-altering event,” said Liz Breier, chief advocacy officer at the state Office of Mental Health.
“That's something that I think a lot of individuals who are in the mental health system deal with,” she added. “Loneliness and isolation, a loss of that autonomy, a loss of people taking you seriously, a loss of people thinking that you're a competent human being.”
Clubhouses originated in the 1940s when a group of patients at Rockland Psychiatric Center formed a self-help group to prepare for being discharged. Fountain House in New York City is known as the first of its kind.
Today clubhouses operate as community hubs that serve as safe spaces that provide routine and recreation, while connecting people to housing, employability and education — often aspects of life that can be significantly affected by a person’s condition.
The idea behind the model is that community is healing.
“It's very about being in the community and having the things that work for anybody in community: love, friendship, work and mutual support,” said Harvey Rosenthal, CEO of The Alliance for Rights and Recovery based in Albany.
The Alliance is a peer-run advocacy organization founded in 1981 for people with mental illness. “Peer” in this case refers to someone with a mental illness who supports or mentors others with mental health conditions. The organization’s advocacy focuses on community-based approaches to mental health recovery.
“One of the things that we have seen is that, typically, folks who are involved with a clubhouse have less instances of crisis. They have a better support network.” said Luke Sikinyi, vice president of public policy at the Alliance.
“And then for those individuals who have come out of the criminal justice system and have mental health challenges, there's also another avenue for folks to get connected to meaningful work and support with really finding their footing when they're back in the community,” he added.
The state is looking to assist new or existing providers in rural and suburban areas as well as cities.
