No doors are locked; in fact, most stand open and welcoming. The vintage hollow-tile building is painted in bright colors and, though worn, is very clean. People are gathered together in groups talking, laughing, working companionably.
The question is often asked, “Why isn’t there something to help people with mental illness stay off the streets, keep away from crime and break the cycle of relapse and hospitalization?”
Without attracting much attention, five clubhouses on Oahu are doing just that.
The largest of the five is the Waipahu Aloha Opens in a new tabClubhouse Opens in a new tab, which since 1997 has occupied a former health clinic behind Waipahu High School that most remember as the place to go for TB tests. On most days there are about 50 members in attendance, though there are 160 active members. This is not group therapy, and there are no medications or nurses on-site. The focus is on independence, meaningful work and the many ways friendship fosters health.
Ava Simmons, a tall woman with a ready smile, gives a tour of the building. “This is the kitchen,” she said. “I love the kitchen. I love the food.”
“The members say, ‘I want to come’, not ‘I have to go,’” said clubhouse director Norman Mison. Membership requires what’s known as an Axis I diagnosis, which includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression, and a referral from a case manager.
Every morning starts with an all-member meeting at 9 a.m. The day’s schedule is discussed, announcements are made for upcoming events and significant milestones are joyfully applauded: Somebody is having a birthday, a couple is marking an anniversary, several members are celebrating 10 years at the club.
“Chocolate cake! Chocolate cake!” Simmons gleefully suggests. This is an authentically positive place, and everything is celebrated. The clubhouse is open Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and one Saturday a month. It is also open for every holiday — Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July — because, as Mison says, mental health doesn’t take days off, and many of the members don’t have family with whom to celebrate these occasions. They live alone or in a care home or foster home. The clubhouse is their ohana.
It’s also a reliable place for a meal. The certified kitchen, which is run by members, makes breakfast and lunch every day and dinners for evening events. People living in care homes often get a benefits allowance of $50 to $70 a month for food. Breakfast at the clubhouse is $1.25 for two eggs, meat, a starch and fruit. Lunch is $2. Membership in the clubhouse is free. Staff is paid by the state Department of Health, and programs are supported by donations to the nonprofit organization.
About 30 clubhouse members are working in outside jobs. The clubhouse partners with businesses to set up six- to nine-month supported job assignments. Members do things like fill up sandbags for Geotech Solutions, wrangle shopping carts for Don Quijote or bag groceries for Times.
“We learn the job ahead of time and then teach it to the members,” staffer Kat Borja explained. “Maybe we figure out a simpler way or we understand better how the particular member learns. The employers trust us to chose a member that fits the job.” The clubhouse guarantees the employer that there will never be sick days, so if a member is ill, a clubhouse staffer, most of whom have degrees in social work or psychology, will do their shift for them.
Jobs at the clubhouse include the clerical unit, the facilities staff and the career development team. Five of the members are enrolled in college. “Here everyone has strengths, everyone has talents,” staffer Ryan Tamboa said. There isn’t much lounging or shooting the breeze. Everyone is busy. “All members are guaranteed a safe place to come to, a safe place to return to, meaningful relationships and meaningful work,” Borja said.
Carl DiPalma, 54, has been a member of the clubhouse for almost 10 years. He has served on the advisory board and often works at the front desk answering the phone.
“We’re all one big family. I miss it when I’m not here,” DiPalma said. “At night I’m idle. I’m waiting for tomorrow so I can be here. I’m useful here.”
Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
