Fountain House is a national mental health nonprofit organization focused on supporting people with serious and persistent mental illness. Founded in 1948, Fountain House originated the Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. The organization's stated mission is "to create the community, innovation, and social change needed for people most impacted by mental illness to lead connected and healthy lives."[1]
The organization aims to address the isolation and social stigmatization faced by people with serious mental illness and provides assistance with housing, employment, education, community-building, and general wellness.[2] Clubhouses work to foster interpersonal connection between members, facilitating social support for individuals experiencing serious mental illness.[3][4]
History
editThe origins of Fountain House can be traced back to 1943 at Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, New York.[5] While at Rockland, 10 patients formed a group that met in a "club room," where they shared their stories, read, painted, and socialized. This self-help group was created with the support of Dr. Hiram Johnson and volunteer Elizabeth Schermerhorn. By 1944, eight of the original members of this self-help group, as well as two former patients from other hospitals, created a formal name for the group, known as We Are Not Alone (WANA).[6] WANA – which was created by and for people with serious mental illness – aimed to provide support to patients who were being discharged from hospitals back into their communities. The group gave practical assistance with finding employment and housing, and also provided opportunities to gain friendships and participate in recreational opportunities.[7]
Fountain House was formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1948 following the purchase of a brownstone building on 47th Street (Manhattan) in Manhattan, which served as a clubhouse for WANA. A fountain in the backyard patio inspired the name.[8]
In 1955, a social worker from Michigan named John Beard was named Executive Director.[9] Beard's pioneering philosophy emphasized mutually supportive relationships between members and staff, in the context of carrying out meaningful everyday tasks.[10]
The type of community that was established at Fountain House, known as the Clubhouse Model, has been replicated more than 350 times in nearly 40 U.S. states and in 30 countries across the globe.[11] The global validity of the Clubhouse Model is moderated and approved by Clubhouse International.
References
edit- ^ "About". www.fountainhouse.org]
- ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (November 8, 1994). "'Clubhouse' Helps Mentally Ill Find the Way Back; At Fountain House, the Emphasis Is on Jobs, Education and Friendship". The New York Times.
- ^ Carolan, Marsha; Onaga, Esther; Pernice-Duca, Francesca; Jimenez, Tiffeny (Fall 2011). "A place to be: the role of clubhouses in facilitating social support". Psychiatr Rehabil J. 35 (2): 125–32. doi:10.2975/35.2.2011.125.132. PMID 22020842.
- ^ Prince, Jonathan D.; Mora, Olivia; Ansbrow, Jacqueline; Benedict, Annie; DiCostanzo, Joanna; Schonebaum, Andrew D. (December 1, 2017). "Nine ways that clubhouses foster interpersonal connection for persons with severe mental illness: Lessons for other types of programs". Social Work in Mental Health. 16 (3): 321–336. doi:10.1080/15332985.2017.1395781.
- ^ Fountain House, New York City (November 1, 1999). "Gold Award: The Wellspring of the Clubhouse Model for Social and Vocational Adjustment of Persons With Serious Mental Illness". Psychiatric Services. 50 (11): 1473–1476. doi:10.1176/ps.50.11.1473. PMID 10543858.
- ^ Anderson, Stephen B. (1998). We are not alone: Fountain House and the development of clubhouse culture. Fountain House.
- ^ Pernice, Francesca; D'Angelo, Lori; Dudek, Kenn; Michon, Amber; Aquila, Ralph (October 18, 2022). "Fountain House and the Clubhouse Movement". Textbook of Community Psychiatry. Springer Link. pp. 535–547. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10239-4_39. ISBN 978-3-031-10238-7.
- ^ Pratt, Carlos W.; Gill, Kenneth J.; Barrett, Nora M.; Roberts, Melissa M. (29 August 2013). Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Academic Press. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-12-387008-7.
- ^ "John H. Beard Is Dead at 59; Director of Fountain House". The New York Times. December 12, 1982.
- ^ Doyle, Alan; Lanoil, Julius; Dudek, Kenneth. Fountain House: Creating Community in Mental Health Practice. Columbia University Press.
- ^ "Clubhouse International." www.clubhouse-intl.org.