She said Clubhouse Community of Hope is a place where individuals can come to socialize, set their goals and don’t have to isolate themselves when they are dealing with something.
Lee said after she lost her son she didn’t know what to do, but asked God to use her pain and use it for a purpose to help others facing mental health challenges.
“Clubhouse Community of Hope has given me hope in being able to continue to take steps forward,” Lee said. “It is what gets me out of the bed in morning.”
Danielle Warren, who serves as the program director at Clubhouse Community of Hope, came to the program as a licensed therapist, but is not serving as one in her role at the clubhouse.
Warren said the program is so important because clubhouse provides a continuity of care in which members are still seeing their therapist or their doctors, but comes to the clubhouse between those sessions.
“We are here for them, we’re the place of community, support, belonging and giving them a place where they can have purpose,” Warren said.
She said she loves the Clubhouse model so much because as a therapist she could see the need for people to have that support system between their sessions.
“Clubhouse for me means a continuity of care, it means family, community, it means purpose and belonging,” she said. “It is really a way to have support and learn how to live, laugh, love and learn.”
One clubhouse member, Anne Lindell, comes to the clubhouse twice a week and calls it her happy place.
“I just love the environment and I just love the people,” she said. “I love how this whole place is about love, hope and kindness.”
Eric Centz said he has battled with mental health issues for most of his life which led him to substance abuse until it clicked that he needed support. Centz said he has been coming to the clubhouse for a while and likes how it has given him a purpose in life.
“It has been an incredible asset to my life,” he said. “I am more outgoing, I am more confident, the love and support from here is positive.”