Diamond House Clubhouse

Diamond House provides opportunities for social connection for people living with mental illness and also provides NDIS services for people with psychosocial disability. Diamond House Clubhouse, also known as Clubhouse SA Inc., is a member of the International Centre for Clubhouse Development, which was founded on the realisation that recovery from a mental illness must involve the whole person in a vital and culturally sensitive community. Clubhouses differ from other psycho-social rehabilitation models in that members have equal rights and representation in all aspects of the day-to-day functioning, maintenance and decision making processes. Two members currently sit on the Board of Directors of Clubhouse SA Inc. The Clubhouse model encourages participation in the ‘work ordered day’, where members engage in meaningful activities side-by-side with staff within two units. The Communications Unit deals with the general administration tasks required to maintain an effective Clubhouse; reception, word-processing of meeting minutes, database entry, member outreach, producing the monthly newsletter, promotions and other communication tasks. The Member Services and Maintenance Unit runs the kitchen, café, garden, cleaning and maintenance aspects of Diamond House. Through participation in Diamond Clubhouse, people are given opportunities to explore friendships, rebuild links with family, participate in work related and educational activities and access the services and supports they may individually need. Diamond Clubhouse provides programs and services which help people live successfully at their own optimal level of independent functioning in the community. Diamond Clubhouse provides opportunities for people aged 16 years and over to explore options relating to employment, pre-vocational courses, health and wellbeing. This includes education, skills based training, recreational activities and personal development courses in a safe and supportive environment. The descriptive name of ‘Clubhouse’ was taken from the original language that was used to communicate the work and vision of the first Clubhouse, Fountain House in New York City, which started in 1948. As the first community of its kind, Fountain House has served as the model for all subsequent Clubhouses that have developed around the world. Fountain House began when former patients of a New York psychiatric hospital began to meet together informally, as a kind of ‘club’. It was organized to be a support system for people living with mental illness, rather than as a service or a treatment program. Fountain House also clearly distinguished itself from other programs by its insistence that members and staff work together, side-by-side, as peers and partners, in every function of the Clubhouse operation. Communities around the world that have modelled themselves after Fountain House have embraced the term ‘Clubhouse’ because it clearly communicates the message of membership and belonging. This message is at the very heart of the Clubhouse way of working.