International Standards for Clubhouse Programs
The International Standards for Clubhouse Programs,
consensually agreed upon by the worldwide
Clubhouse community, define the Clubhouse Model of rehabilitation. The
principles expressed in these
Standards are at the heart of the Clubhouse community’s success in helping
people with mental illness
to stay out of hospitals while achieving social, financial, educational and
vocational goals. The Standards
also serve as a “bill of rights” for members and a code of ethics for staff,
board and administrators. The
Standards insist that a Clubhouse is a place that offers respect and opportunity
to its members.
The Standards provide the basis for assessing Clubhouse quality, through the
International Center for
Clubhouse Development (ICCD) certification process.
Every two years the worldwide Clubhouse community reviews these Standards, and
amends them as
deemed necessary. The process is coordinated by the ICCD Standards Review
Committee, made up of
members and staff of ICCD-certified Clubhouses from around the world.
1. Membership is voluntary and without time limits.
2. The Clubhouse has control over its acceptance of new members. Membership
is open to anyone
with a history of mental illness, unless that person poses a significant and
current threat to the
general safety of the Clubhouse community.
3. Members choose the way they utilize the Clubhouse, and the staff with
whom they work. There are
no agreements, contracts, schedules, or rules intended to enforce
participation of members.
4. All members have equal access to every Clubhouse opportunity with no
differentiation based on
diagnosis or level of functioning.
5. Members at their choice are involved in the writing of all records
reflecting their participation in the
Clubhouse. All such records are to be signed by both member and staff.
6. Members have a right to immediate re-entry into the Clubhouse community
after any length of
absence, unless their return poses a threat to the Clubhouse community.
7. The Clubhouse provides an effective reach out system to members who are
not attending, becoming
isolated in the community or hospitalized.
8. All Clubhouse meetings are open to both members and staff. There are
no formal member only
meetings or formal staff only meetings where program decisions and member
issues are discussed.
9. Clubhouse staff are sufficient to engage the membership, yet few enough
to make carrying out their
responsibilities impossible without member involvement.
10. Clubhouse staff have generalist roles. All staff share employment,
housing, evening and weekend,
holiday and unit responsibilities. Clubhouse staff do not divide their time
between Clubhouse and
other major work responsibilities.
11. Responsibility for the operation of the Clubhouse lies with the members
and staff and ultimately
with the Clubhouse director. Central to this responsibility is the
engagement of members and staff in
all aspects of Clubhouse operation.
12. The Clubhouse has its own identity, including its own name, mailing
address and telephone number.
13. The Clubhouse is located in its own physical space. It is separate from
any mental health center or
institutional settings, and is impermeable to other programs. The Clubhouse
is designed to facilitate
the work-ordered day and at the same time be attractive, adequate in size,
and convey a sense of
respect and dignity.
14. All Clubhouse space is member and staff accessible. There are no staff
only or member only spaces.
15. The work-ordered day engages members and staff together,
side-by-side, in the running of the
Clubhouse. The Clubhouse focuses on strengths, talents and abilities;
therefore, the work-ordered
day must not include medication clinics, day treatment or therapy programs
within the Clubhouse.
16. The work done in the Clubhouse is exclusively the work generated by the
Clubhouse in the
operation and enhancement of the Clubhouse community. No work for outside
individuals or
agencies, whether for pay or not, is acceptable work in the Clubhouse.
Members are not paid for any
Clubhouse work, nor are there any artificial reward systems.
17. The Clubhouse is open at least five days a week. The work-ordered day
parallels typical working
hours.
18. The Clubhouse is organized into one or more work units, each of which
has sufficient staff,
members and meaningful work to sustain a full and engaging work-ordered day.
Unit meetings are
held to foster relationships as well as to organize and plan the work of the
day.
19. All work in the Clubhouse is designed to help members regain self worth,
purpose and
confidence; it is not intended to be job specific training.
20. Members have the opportunity to participate in all the work of the
Clubhouse, including
administration, research, enrollment and orientation, reach out, hiring,
training and
evaluation of staff, public relations, advocacy and evaluation of Clubhouse
effectiveness.
21. The Clubhouse enables its members to return to paid work through
Transitional Employment,
Supported Employment and Independent Employment; therefore, the Clubhouse
does not provide
employment to members through in-house businesses, segregated Clubhouse
enterprises or sheltered
workshops.
Transitional
Employment
22. The Clubhouse offers its own Transitional Employment program, which
provides as a right of
membership opportunities for members to work on job placements in business
and industry. As a
defining characteristic of a Clubhouse Transitional Employment program, the
Clubhouse guarantees
coverage on all placements during member absences. In addition the
Transitional Employment
program meets the following basic criteria.
a. The desire to work is the single most important factor determining
placement opportunity.
b. Placement opportunities will continue to be available regardless of the
level of success in
previous placements.
c. Members work at the employer’s place of business.
d. Members are paid the prevailing wage rate, but at least minimum wage,
directly by the employer.
e. Transitional Employment placements are drawn from a wide variety of job
opportunities.
f. Transitional Employment placements are part-time and time-limited,
generally 15 to 20 hours per
week and from six to nine months in duration.
g. Selection and training of members on Transitional Employment is the
responsibility of the
Clubhouse, not the employer.
h. Clubhouse members and staff prepare reports on TE placements for all
appropriate agencies
dealing with members’ benefits.
i. Transitional Employment placements are managed by Clubhouse staff and
members and not by
TE specialists.
j. There are no TE placements within the Clubhouse. Transitional Employment
placements at an
auspice agency must be off site from the Clubhouse and meet all of the above
criteria.
Supported and
Independent Employment
23. The Clubhouse offers its own Supported and Independent Employment
programs to assist members
to secure, sustain and subsequently, to better their employment. As a
defining characteristic of
Clubhouse Supported Employment, the Clubhouse maintains a relationship with
the working
member and the employer. Members and staff in partnership determine the
type, frequency and
location of desired supports.
24. Members who are working independently continue to have available all
Clubhouse supports and
opportunities including advocacy for entitlements, and assistance with
housing, clinical, legal,
financial and personal issues, as well as participation in evening and
weekend programs.
25. The Clubhouse assists members to further their vocational and
educational goals by helping them
take advantage of adult education opportunities in the community. When the
Clubhouse also
provides an in-house educational program, it significantly utilizes the
teaching and tutoring skills of
members.
26. The Clubhouse is located in an area where access to local
transportation can be assured, both in
terms of getting to and from the program and accessing TE opportunities. The
Clubhouse provides
or arranges for effective alternatives whenever access to public
transportation is limited.
27. Community support services are provided by members and staff of the
Clubhouse. Community
support activities are centered in the work unit structure of the Clubhouse.
They include helping
with entitlements, housing and advocacy, promoting healthy lifestyles, as
well as assistance in
finding quality medical, psychological, pharmacological and substance abuse
services in the
community.
28. The Clubhouse is committed to securing a range of choices of safe,
decent and affordable housing
including independent living opportunities for all members. The Clubhouse
has access to
opportunities that meet these criteria, or if unavailable, the Clubhouse
develops its own housing
program. Clubhouse housing programs meet the following basic criteria.
a. Members and staff manage the program together.
b. Members who live there do so by choice.
c. Members choose the location of their housing and their roommates.
d. Policies and procedures are developed in a manner consistent with the
rest of the Clubhouse
culture.
e. The level of support increases or decreases in response to the changing
needs of the member.
f. Members and staff actively reach out to help members keep their housing,
especially during
periods of hospitalization.
29. The Clubhouse conducts an objective evaluation of its effectiveness on a
regular basis.
30. The Clubhouse director, members, staff and other appropriate persons
participate in a three-week
training program in the Clubhouse Model at a certified training base.
31. The Clubhouse has recreational and social programs during evenings and
on weekends. Holidays are
celebrated on the actual day they are observed.
FUNDING, GOVERNANCE
and ADMINISTRATION
32. The Clubhouse has an independent board of directors, or if it is
affiliated with a sponsoring agency,
has a separate advisory board comprised of individuals uniquely positioned
to provide financial,
legal, legislative, employment development, consumer and community support
and advocacy for the
Clubhouse.
33. The Clubhouse develops and maintains its own budget, approved by the
board or advisory board
prior to the beginning of the fiscal year and monitored routinely during the
fiscal year.
34. Staff salaries are competitive with comparable positions in the mental
health field.
35. The Clubhouse has the support of appropriate mental health authorities
and all necessary licenses
and accreditations. The Clubhouse collaborates with people and organizations
that can increase its
effectiveness in the broader community.
36. The Clubhouse holds open forums and has procedures which enable members
and staff to actively
participate in decision making, generally by consensus, regarding
governance, policy making, and
the future direction and development of the Clubhouse.
International Center for
Clubhouse Development
425 West 47th Street
New York, New York 10036
USA
Telephone: 212 582 0343
Fax: 212 397 1649
Web: www.iccd.org
October, 1989 ©
Revised as of October, 2010