History
"The Clubhouse movement originated in the 1940’s in New York City. It has since spread across the world, supporting adults living with mental illness. In recent years, we have seen that many clubhouses have put more focus on attracting and engaging young adults (YAs) (ages 18- 30) as they saw the average age of membership increase. In 2009, Progress Place Toronto became one of these clubhouses. There are many reasons to focus on this age group, which will be reviewed in this article; we’ll also review the implementation and history of the YA program, the current programming, and ideas for the future.
Challenges Young Adults Face
In 2009, 11 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States reported having serious mental illness in the past year, and the highest percentage among any age group was adults between ages 18-25 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, [SAMDSA], 2010).
People in this age group are at high risk for poor outcomes, including dropping out of school or college, increased involvement with the criminal justice system, and unemployment. According to a young adult representative at Progress Place, “When youth outgrow youth mental health services, they often don’t connect with adult mental health services to help them reach their goals.” Despite this age group having the highest mental illness rate, there is a lack of transition services (youth to adult) available to support them (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 2012). “The maximum weakness and discontinuity in the system occurs just when it should be at its strongest.” (Dr. Patrick McGorry, Medical Journal of Australia, 2007). Only a fraction of youth with mental health issues receive the supports and interventions they need for their mental illnesses (Mental Health Commission of Canada).
Young adults face many challenges without having the added challenge of a mental illness. These include finding a career; pursuing education; finding meaning in life; finding people to socialize with; living on their own for the first time; and becoming financially independent, just to name a few. Typically, young adults need help reaching these goals. Add to that a mental illness, and a lot of help is needed. Youth who do not get treatment become: “More vulnerable and less resilient over time.” (Brenda Wattie, Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario Children and Youth Reference Group).
Young adults see themselves working and pursuing life dreams rather than a life involved with the mental health system. The goal is for YA's to lead independent and fulfilling lives; but they also need help achieving these goals (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 2012).
Young adult representative reflects on Challenges that Progress Place, a Toronto Clubhouse, had to Attract and Sustain Young Adults
"Historically, clubhouses did have a representative number of young adults compared to other age groups. However, clubhouse membership is voluntary and without time limits, and a number of members stay connected with the clubhouse for many years. As the clubhouse ages, the average age of membership rises. In 2007, the average age of membership at Progress Place was 47. This is quite high, considering the onset of mental illness tends to be in late teens and early twenties."
"If people get involved in the Clubhouse earlier on, they have a better chance of winning the battle against their illness by gaining allies, resources, and opportunities. I’ve heard more than one member say to me that they wish they found out about Progress Place earlier. We don’t want people losing out on years of support."
"Young members may be prone to come and go fast, and their need for support may be more transitional and more immediate than most. Some may very well benefit from clubhouse membership for long years to come, while others may just need a month or two to help them reach the next step. In any case, finding Progress Place early on can be a major step in the right direction for many young adults who are suffering from mental illness."
“I was nervous to attend my first young adults meeting, but when I met everyone I felt much more comfortable!”
- A Progress Place Young Adult member
Implementation and History of the Young Adults Program
In 2008, Progress Place sent colleague training team compromised of member and staff to New York City’s Fountain House Clubhouse for three weeks of training. Fountain House had a thriving Young Adults program, and the team learned about and adapted their model to see if it would succeed at Progress Place.
The initial stage of the program was focused on development. Young Adults members and staff met once a week to discuss what the program would look like. A young adult representative described to me the areas on which they focused. In summary, they focused heavily on education action plans because many YAs either just finished high school or tried post secondary but had to leave for some reason. Also, they focused on socialization because many YA's wanted to meet people of similar age and with similar experiences; often the similarity was the mental health piece. The third thing they did was take away formal diagnoses as a requirement for membership. This is because after some research, and talking to a leading doctor, they found that doctors are less likely to give diagnoses under the age of 25. This way, YA's are not pigeon-holed into a diagnosis too soon. Progress Place did not want to create a barrier to young adults without a formal diagnosis. Through such adjustments to our program criteria, and by trial and error, the program was established. The next step was actually attracting these Young Adults.
Staff and clubhouse members put together a presentation to promote the program and presented it to hospitals and any other organization that would take them. Over time, more people began to show up. A Young Adult's representative comments on the growth, “In the time that I have been at the clubhouse, I have seen our young adult population grow and our young adult programming strengthen. This has been made possible by the hard working and enthusiastic members and staff.” Ryan also attributed the success to Young Adult leaders who step up to be mentors and help other Young Adult members integrate into the programs. The YA program at Progress Place has come a long way since 2008, and it continues to grow today.
Current Programming and Future Steps
As for the current programming for Young Adults: Young Adults events and activities are “hosted” by our 18 to 30-year-old members, but welcome members of all ages. Each unit has a Young Adults representative staff member. They describe their role as, “My responsibility as a young adult rep is to engage and encourage the young adult members on my unit to get involved in the work of the unit and the young adult programming and initiatives. When a new young adult member joins the café unit, I welcome them and spend some time getting to know who they are, what their interests are, and what brought them to Progress Place. I introduce them to other Young Adults; members and staff."
“The young adults program has helped me to know and discover myself, develop relationships with my peers and heal me emotionally, spiritually, and socially.”
-Donna G.
Tuesdays, from 12pm to 1pm, is the Young Adults lunch. Here members have a chance to catch up with other members their age and also welcome newcomers to the clubhouse. Conversation is focused around pop culture, youth employment opportunities, future project ideas, and what’s happening that week. Members brainstorm and plan fun outings like, boat rides, hiking, theatres, bowling, and much more.
Also on Tuesdays, Young Adult members lead tours for prospective new Young Adult members. The prospective members have the opportunity to do their intake the very same day, and also to attend the Young Adult lunch to get acquainted right away. This was implemented because the long intake process was a barrier to membership.
Other events include the Young Adults education and employment dinner every second Thursday of each month. These dinners always have a topic and create your own food theme, as well as music and icebreakers. This was a new initiative implemented as of January 2018.
There are also Young Adults specific tasks incorporated into the work ordered day. An example of this is the wheel of wellness, creatively designed using a bike wheel and wooden stand. The wheel of wellness is used once a week to randomly select a healthy goal for the week and is published in the Pipeline, our weekly newsletter. Another example of Young Adults work is this very blog. A recent evening/weekend activity for Young Adults was the Audio Drama. One of our Young Adults members had written a play and shared it during the YA lunch. Due to the interest from her fellow YA members, the Audio Drama was born. Members and a YA rep gathered to voice act, record, and edit each episode.
“The Young Adults lunch gathering allowed me to meet new young adults my age. One really fun activity we did this summer was going on a boat cruise. I enjoyed myself and so did my peers.”
- A Progress Place Young adult member
There are two graffiti walls in the clubhouse. One is in a meeting room and the other in the DJ booth. These were spray-painted by YA members, who partnered with artists from an organization called Unity. Another artistic venture was through a partnership with Vibe Arts to create two murals that were displayed on Earth Day 2019 in subways across Toronto.
We recently finished another partnership event with TIFF: Movie Makeup Workshop. They came with their makeup to help our YAs learn how to do scary movie makeup, just in time for Halloween!
There is a lot for Young Adults to do at Progress Place. The program has grown plenty since 2009, but there is still room for improvement.
Administratively, Progress Place is looking for a formal partnership with other YA programs in the city, to be a referral source for Young Adults aging out of the youth sector. Members and staff are always looking for new and exciting things to do.
If you are a Young Adult (between the ages of 18-30) who is living with mental illness and this sounds like something you might be interested in, please get in contact with us. Progress Place is a community that wants to help. All you have to do is to reach out and join.
By David Buckley
Challenges Young Adults Face
In 2009, 11 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States reported having serious mental illness in the past year, and the highest percentage among any age group was adults between ages 18-25 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, [SAMDSA], 2010).
People in this age group are at high risk for poor outcomes, including dropping out of school or college, increased involvement with the criminal justice system, and unemployment. According to a young adult representative at Progress Place, “When youth outgrow youth mental health services, they often don’t connect with adult mental health services to help them reach their goals.” Despite this age group having the highest mental illness rate, there is a lack of transition services (youth to adult) available to support them (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 2012). “The maximum weakness and discontinuity in the system occurs just when it should be at its strongest.” (Dr. Patrick McGorry, Medical Journal of Australia, 2007). Only a fraction of youth with mental health issues receive the supports and interventions they need for their mental illnesses (Mental Health Commission of Canada).
Young adults face many challenges without having the added challenge of a mental illness. These include finding a career; pursuing education; finding meaning in life; finding people to socialize with; living on their own for the first time; and becoming financially independent, just to name a few. Typically, young adults need help reaching these goals. Add to that a mental illness, and a lot of help is needed. Youth who do not get treatment become: “More vulnerable and less resilient over time.” (Brenda Wattie, Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario Children and Youth Reference Group).
Young adults see themselves working and pursuing life dreams rather than a life involved with the mental health system. The goal is for YA's to lead independent and fulfilling lives; but they also need help achieving these goals (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 2012).
Young adult representative reflects on Challenges that Progress Place, a Toronto Clubhouse, had to Attract and Sustain Young Adults
"Historically, clubhouses did have a representative number of young adults compared to other age groups. However, clubhouse membership is voluntary and without time limits, and a number of members stay connected with the clubhouse for many years. As the clubhouse ages, the average age of membership rises. In 2007, the average age of membership at Progress Place was 47. This is quite high, considering the onset of mental illness tends to be in late teens and early twenties."
"If people get involved in the Clubhouse earlier on, they have a better chance of winning the battle against their illness by gaining allies, resources, and opportunities. I’ve heard more than one member say to me that they wish they found out about Progress Place earlier. We don’t want people losing out on years of support."
"Young members may be prone to come and go fast, and their need for support may be more transitional and more immediate than most. Some may very well benefit from clubhouse membership for long years to come, while others may just need a month or two to help them reach the next step. In any case, finding Progress Place early on can be a major step in the right direction for many young adults who are suffering from mental illness."
“I was nervous to attend my first young adults meeting, but when I met everyone I felt much more comfortable!”
- A Progress Place Young Adult member
Implementation and History of the Young Adults Program
In 2008, Progress Place sent colleague training team compromised of member and staff to New York City’s Fountain House Clubhouse for three weeks of training. Fountain House had a thriving Young Adults program, and the team learned about and adapted their model to see if it would succeed at Progress Place.
The initial stage of the program was focused on development. Young Adults members and staff met once a week to discuss what the program would look like. A young adult representative described to me the areas on which they focused. In summary, they focused heavily on education action plans because many YAs either just finished high school or tried post secondary but had to leave for some reason. Also, they focused on socialization because many YA's wanted to meet people of similar age and with similar experiences; often the similarity was the mental health piece. The third thing they did was take away formal diagnoses as a requirement for membership. This is because after some research, and talking to a leading doctor, they found that doctors are less likely to give diagnoses under the age of 25. This way, YA's are not pigeon-holed into a diagnosis too soon. Progress Place did not want to create a barrier to young adults without a formal diagnosis. Through such adjustments to our program criteria, and by trial and error, the program was established. The next step was actually attracting these Young Adults.
Staff and clubhouse members put together a presentation to promote the program and presented it to hospitals and any other organization that would take them. Over time, more people began to show up. A Young Adult's representative comments on the growth, “In the time that I have been at the clubhouse, I have seen our young adult population grow and our young adult programming strengthen. This has been made possible by the hard working and enthusiastic members and staff.” Ryan also attributed the success to Young Adult leaders who step up to be mentors and help other Young Adult members integrate into the programs. The YA program at Progress Place has come a long way since 2008, and it continues to grow today.
Current Programming and Future Steps
As for the current programming for Young Adults: Young Adults events and activities are “hosted” by our 18 to 30-year-old members, but welcome members of all ages. Each unit has a Young Adults representative staff member. They describe their role as, “My responsibility as a young adult rep is to engage and encourage the young adult members on my unit to get involved in the work of the unit and the young adult programming and initiatives. When a new young adult member joins the café unit, I welcome them and spend some time getting to know who they are, what their interests are, and what brought them to Progress Place. I introduce them to other Young Adults; members and staff."
“The young adults program has helped me to know and discover myself, develop relationships with my peers and heal me emotionally, spiritually, and socially.”
-Donna G.
Tuesdays, from 12pm to 1pm, is the Young Adults lunch. Here members have a chance to catch up with other members their age and also welcome newcomers to the clubhouse. Conversation is focused around pop culture, youth employment opportunities, future project ideas, and what’s happening that week. Members brainstorm and plan fun outings like, boat rides, hiking, theatres, bowling, and much more.
Also on Tuesdays, Young Adult members lead tours for prospective new Young Adult members. The prospective members have the opportunity to do their intake the very same day, and also to attend the Young Adult lunch to get acquainted right away. This was implemented because the long intake process was a barrier to membership.
Other events include the Young Adults education and employment dinner every second Thursday of each month. These dinners always have a topic and create your own food theme, as well as music and icebreakers. This was a new initiative implemented as of January 2018.
There are also Young Adults specific tasks incorporated into the work ordered day. An example of this is the wheel of wellness, creatively designed using a bike wheel and wooden stand. The wheel of wellness is used once a week to randomly select a healthy goal for the week and is published in the Pipeline, our weekly newsletter. Another example of Young Adults work is this very blog. A recent evening/weekend activity for Young Adults was the Audio Drama. One of our Young Adults members had written a play and shared it during the YA lunch. Due to the interest from her fellow YA members, the Audio Drama was born. Members and a YA rep gathered to voice act, record, and edit each episode.
“The Young Adults lunch gathering allowed me to meet new young adults my age. One really fun activity we did this summer was going on a boat cruise. I enjoyed myself and so did my peers.”
- A Progress Place Young adult member
There are two graffiti walls in the clubhouse. One is in a meeting room and the other in the DJ booth. These were spray-painted by YA members, who partnered with artists from an organization called Unity. Another artistic venture was through a partnership with Vibe Arts to create two murals that were displayed on Earth Day 2019 in subways across Toronto.
We recently finished another partnership event with TIFF: Movie Makeup Workshop. They came with their makeup to help our YAs learn how to do scary movie makeup, just in time for Halloween!
There is a lot for Young Adults to do at Progress Place. The program has grown plenty since 2009, but there is still room for improvement.
Administratively, Progress Place is looking for a formal partnership with other YA programs in the city, to be a referral source for Young Adults aging out of the youth sector. Members and staff are always looking for new and exciting things to do.
If you are a Young Adult (between the ages of 18-30) who is living with mental illness and this sounds like something you might be interested in, please get in contact with us. Progress Place is a community that wants to help. All you have to do is to reach out and join.
By David Buckley