Kennebec Behavioral Health would like to congratulate our newest Vocational Clubhouse, Village Clubhouse in Topsham, for its first Clubhouse International Accreditation. Village Clubhouse received no formal recommendations on the preliminary finding reports but are energized to review and consider several wonderful suggestions made in regards to improvements. We would like to thank Walter of Genesis Clubhouse, Inc. and Joe from Independence Center St. Louis for their feedback during this process.
Clubhouse International is a global non-profit organization that helps communities around the world create Clubhouses for people with mental illness who need support and vocational rehabilitation. Their vision is that “there will one day be Clubhouses in the cities and towns of every country in the world. We hope that all people with mental illness will have access to the support of a Clubhouse, which can provide them with the encouragement and assistance they need to lead successful lives, and be fully engaged in society.”
The Accreditation process involves multiple steps and is awarded in one- or three- year periods. Accreditation is conducted by members of the Clubhouse International Faculty who oversee a rigorous process. To receive accreditation, Village Clubhouse had to work together to prepare for the site visit. Each area of the Clubhouse is reviewed and discussed and are part of a self-study process which results in a written report from the Clubhouse to Clubhouse International.
Accreditation visits are then made by faculty that last three to four days. Faculty confirm information presented in the self-study report and meet with members, staff, board members and other partners of the Clubhouse. At the end of the visit, the Faculty present their findings and make recommendations. During this visit, Village Clubhouse received no formal recommendations but did receive some valuable suggestions.
KBH is so proud of Village Clubhouse and cannot wait to see what next steps the Clubhouse takes. KBH also has three other Clubhouses: High Hopes Clubhouse in Waterville, Capitol Clubhouse in Augusta, and Looking Ahead Clubhouse in Lewiston. Learn more about our Clubhouses at https://www.kbhmaine.org/services/vocational-clubhouses/. Learn more about Clubhouse International at https://clubhouse-intl.org/.
