Our motto: A safe place to belong, work & return
DIAMOND HOUSE
A Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program
Membership
Membership is open to all adults, 16 years or older, who have
a history of mental illness and who does not pose a threat to to
the Clubhouse community. Referral can be by your GP,
pyschiatrist, pyschologist, family or friend, any community
health centre or self referral.
To have membership in an organisation means to belong, to fit
in somewhere and to have a place where you are always
welcome. The reality for most people with mental illness is that
they have a constant sense of not fitting in, of isolation and
rejection. Mental illness has the devastating effect of
separating people from others in society.
“Mental patient”, “client”, “disabled”, “consumer”, “user”; these
are the terms with which people living with mental illness are
accustomed to being defined. The rest of society, then,
segragates them according to these labels and wholly defines
them by these images. The person with mental illness is seen
as someone who needs something, who is primarily a burden
that needs to be managed.
The Clubhouse turns this all around! Here, a person who has
struggled with mental illness is seen first as a valued
participant, a colleague and someone who has something to
contribute to the rest of the group.The daily work of the
Clubhouse community, too, is organised and carried out in a
way that repeatably delivers this message. this is not difficult
because in fact the work of the Clubhouse does require the
participation of the members. The design of a clubhouse
engages members in every aspect of its operation, and there
is always much more work than can be accomplished by the
few employed staff. Participation is voluntary but each member
is always invited to particpate in the ‘work day’.
‘The Work Day’
‘The Work Day’ is the way a day is structured to
complete tasks within the Clubhouse. It is an expectation
that members will come for part of the day and take on
some tasks, this does not mean that there is no time for
socialising but it is not designed as a ‘drop-in-centre’.
In Clubhouse the work is voluntary. It is always your
choice what work you do. Work gives self esteem,
opportunities to develop skills, to learn new ones or re-
learn old ones; a chance to contribute to the common
good; a sense of achievement and makes you feel good
about yourself.
Serving lunches to members & carers
Installing garden drain
Values
Clubhouse communities are built upon the belief that
every member can sufficiently recover from the effects
of mental illness to lead a personally satisfying life.
Values Statement: Clubhouse SA Inc values all
people equally and non-judgementally.
Recovery