Clubhouse
Employment | Production Unit | Membership Unit | Business Unit
Historically, when an individual began attending Liberty Centre, they were transitioning from a hospital. In many instances these hospitalizations had been long in duration, so the individual had been in a clinical environment where opportunities to make decisions regarding their treatment and participation were limited. In recent years we have seen a change in the hospitalization history of those coming into services; many have never been hospitalized before or if they have, it was only for short periods of time. The average age of individuals entering services has also decreased, as new members are much younger than they’ve been in the past. In both instances, Liberty Centre provides opportunities for individuals to learn how to make decisions and choices about their recovery.
The Clubhouse is purposely focused on work. The work of the Clubhouse is divided among departments, or units, with each unit responsible for an integral part of the functioning of the organization. In the units, members work together as peers to accomplish the work of the Clubhouse. There are many reasons why this is important. In the process of work, members working with their peers are not only brushing up on their skills and learning new ones, they are constantly communicating and interacting with each other and providing peer support in a very natural way, much like any workplace setting. The end result is increased self-confidence and a strong feeling of accomplishment and self-worth, along with a sense of ownership and pride. Members learn interdependence, which is a valued asset in the workforce.
The Clubhouse operates in a fashion that enables its members to be involved in all aspects of the organization, including policy and decision making. Each member chooses who will assist them in selecting and setting their goals and documenting their progress (Case Advisor). Members take a lead role in their progress notes, entering their own documentation of their progress monthly. It is also the member’s choice which unit they work in, what they work on, how long they work, and with whom they work. The abundance of decision-making opportunities at the Clubhouse not only gives individuals the chance to make decisions that directly impact their recovery, but also helps them to get into the habit and feel comfortable with the process.
The Clubhouse offers employment supports and opportunities to members when they decide they would like to gain employment in the community.
As a complement to the day program, an evening and weekend program provides opportunities for people to socialize and increase their relationship building skills.
Members meet monthly to plan the month’s social calendar.
The availability of educational opportunities and the support needed to access those opportunities are essential for individuals pursuing higher education goals, which is why Liberty Centre partners with Northeast Community College to assist members with their educational needs.
Employment
Liberty Centre (LC) strongly believes in enabling individuals to regain control of their lives and achieve independence. A key component in achieving this is to help the person rebuild their self-confidence and enhance their employment skills. Liberty Centre’s Employment Program helps accomplish this by providing an opportunity for all members to gain employment within the community. LC provides individual assistance in finding a job to match the persons skills and interests and then provides continuous on the job training and support for that individual.
Two types of employment support are Supported and Transitional.
Production Unit
What is the Production Unit? Although it is where all of the cooking and a lot of cleaning takes place; the unit goes beyond this. The Production Unit is a place where healthy relationships are built every day!
Like the other Units in the Clubhouse, the Production Unit is where members can come when they want to do productive, meaningful work. Members learn a variety of skills; from basic independent living skills to using the computer. It is the members that keep the Clubhouse running. It is amazing to see such a sense of ownership among the members. For many members working in the Clubhouse is like having a job; they attend on a regular basis and a lot of them call when they aren’t going to be in. In a nutshell, the Production Unit is where members and staff work together to complete the everyday duties of the Unit. One important thing to remember when working in the Production Unit is that it isn’t about the finished product, but the process that takes place.
A few people were asked what impact has participating in the Production Unit had in their lives.
“The Production Unit has helped me a lot. It keeps me busy and I have learned a lot of new things.” ~Jerry P.
“It has given me a chance to fulfill my everyday life. It has given me a sense of well being and belonging.” ~Don P.
“It has helped me make friends.” ~Nate A.
“Working in the snack bar has given me a chance to meet new people. It makes me feel needed.” ~Jim C.
“It has given me a chance to show off my cooking skills. I know I got it going on!” ~Rosie M.
More information about our Wellness.
Membership Unit
The Membership Unit is a lively place and there’s always something going on. One of the things this unit is responsible for is outreach; we call or send cards to members that are sick, or haven’t been in for a while. Another aspect of this unit is the Member Bank. Members have the opportunity to keep their money in the Member Bank, which has been a real asset for many of them. Budgeting assistance is also available through the bank if they so desire.
Members that participate in this unit have many opportunities to learn and work on their computer skills, as there are many activities that involve data entry on the computers. This allows them to learn these skills that are highly valued in the workforce in a very natural way. The Employment program and all of its related paperwork and data collection is another part of the Membership Unit and takes up a large part of the work day.
Much more gets accomplished than the task of the work, though. Lorena Harrison states “I have people here that I can talk to and try to get my mind motivated and learn a little more about what is around me… Everyone here helps each other along their road to recovery. Things are slowly looking up and beautiful for me.”
Sandy Lovejoy tells us “I look forward to come to Liberty Centre and working in Membership Services because I have learned new tasks like working in the member bank and doing reports. By the end of the day, I feel like I have accomplished something.”
Jeff Heyen says, “Everyone knows each other and they are willing to help in the unit. I am able to have a place to go instead of hanging out in my apartment. The work is meaningful and sometimes you are able to express your life goals.’
Wes Beltz states “The Centre has opened new avenues in my life, such as learning to use computers. It has also helped me to relate to others more by working together on projects and doing other projects as a group – going on trips, having movies, etc.”
Business Unit
When members are asked why they work in the business unit, we hear responses like:
“Because it’s fun!”
“We laugh all the time!”
“It’s meaningful work!”
What makes the business unit great is our ability to combine an easy-going, fun attitude with meaningful work. Their philosophy is, "We have tasks that need to get done and we might as well have a great time getting them done!"
The Business Unit has three main responsibilities: billing, housing and accounts. They are in charge of billing for Day Rehabilitation and Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation services. What does this mean? Our unit makes sure that Liberty Centre receives the money they need to keep the place running. Sounds important, doesn’t it? If it wasn’t for the hard work that we put into tracking services, documenting times, and quality assurance, there wouldn’t be a Liberty Centre to come to.
In addition, Liberty Centre is blessed to have a housing program that includes three apartment complexes: Willow Park I, Willow Park II and Chestnut Park, with a fourth one on the way. The Business Unit is responsible for billing tenant rent, tracking rent received, depositing rent, ensuring that apartment inspections are done, and maintaining files for tenants.
Finally, the Business Unit is in charge of the accounts for Liberty Centre Services, Inc. We write checks and pay the bills for all of the programs when they come in, document them in the checkbook, and even reconcile the bank statements when they come in. It’s a lot of work, but they’re up to the challenge!
While it’s important that the work of the unit gets done and gets done well, it’s also important to take some well-deserved breaks and chat once in a while to ensure that it never gets too serious around here. We do this by designating a word of the day each morning and repeating it throughout the day. We have unit planning every other week to learn new tasks and give unit updates. We even fight over who gets to clean the toilets in the morning!
We consider ourselves to be pretty lucky in the Business Unit to have the people that we do. The members are great leaders who step up to the plate when needed and get things done, which is why its important to take time out to show them how much they are appreciated!