Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Psychosocial rehabilitation is a term that refers to a variety of services aimed at assisting the person with mental illness to regain skills and maximize functioning in the community. This might mean returning to work or school, or moving toward more independence. Psychosocial rehabilitation can occur in long-term psychiatric units, residential programs, and in the community.

Throughout North Carolina, there are many psychosocial clubhouses that follow the Fountain House model. These unique programs can help people who are isolated, inactive, or lonely by giving them the chance to meet others and be involved in activities. By working alongside staff to run the clubhouse program, individuals involved learn important skills. These skills include cooking, paperwork, phone calls, and communication. Often clubhouse members will go on social outings together, such as concerts or shopping. Some clubhouses have job programs to help people to get temporary jobs in the community.

Clubhouse programs are unique because the adults who attend can be in charge of certain tasks, just like the staff. At clubhouses, people are called “members” instead of “clients,” because they are truly part of the program. For example, a clubhouse member might be in charge of lunch one day, supervising a group of others and making sure the lunch is prepared well and served on time. Or a clubhouse member might be in charge of answering the phone and taking messages. There are clubhouse programs in Orange, Person, and Chatham Counties. In Orange County, the clubhouse is called Club Nova; in Chatham County, it is Club Insight, and in Person County it is called Club Creative.