Venture House was incorporated in 1987 as a non-profit agency to operate programs that provide rehabilitation services to people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
In April 1988 Venture House began operating a Clubhouse program.
The founding executive director, David Lehmann, began operating Venture House as a Clubhouse program in April 1988 with a handful of members and five staff.
The mission of Venture House is to deliver programs, activities and supports that enable members to live successfully in their community.
Since we opened, Venture House has provided services to over 1,000 members.
There are over 250 active members, with an average daily attendance of 60 on any given day.
Clubhouse programs aim to tackle the many issues faced by individuals living with mental illnesses. A brief overview of some of these issues can be found below.
The Clubhouse experience has been proven to result in positive outcomes for many members. These outcomes include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Employment, with longer on-the-job tenure for members engaging in Clubhouse Transitional Employment.
- Members at Accredited Clubhouses have an annual 42% employment rate– double the rate for people in the public mental health system.
- Cost effective, compared to other mental healthcare approaches. The cost of Clubhouses estimated to be one-third of the cost of the IPS model; about half the annual costs of Community Mental Health Centers; and substantially less than the ACT model.
- A significant decrease in hospitalizations as a result of membership in a Clubhouse program.
- Reduced incarcerations, with criminal justice system involvement substantially diminished during and after Clubhouse psycho-social program membership.
- Improved Well-Being compared with individuals receiving psychiatric services without Clubhouse membership. Clubhouse members were significantly more likely to report that they had close friendships and someone they could rely on when they needed help.
- Better physical and mental health. A recent study suggests that service systems like Clubhouses that offer ongoing social supports enhance mental and physical well being by reducing disconnectedness.
For more information regarding the impact of clubhouses all over the world, please visit the impact section of Clubhouse International’s website.