Smith County Clubhouse, a new nonprofit focusing on adult mental health and recovery, is now open in Tyler.
The organization’s mission is to empower adults living with mental illness to shape their own recovery process, be part of Clubhouse work activities, develop friendships and experience a better quality of life, according to Clubhouse Executive Director Smith County Clubhouse, Shannon Pruden.
Pruden said the organization, which has locations around the world, is not a treatment center but a place of recovery.
“Smith County Clubhouse provides a holistic approach to recovery by creating an intentional community of members and a few staff members who work side by side as colleagues,” Pruden said. “Clubhouse participants are members, not patients or cases. Clubhouses are organized as support systems. We do not provide treatment, therapy or medication. Instead, we provide opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and community connection.”
Pruden said the services offered at Clubhouse are unique and follow a proven model.
“There is no program like the Smith County Clubhouse in Smith County. Mental health resources are limited in our area. The ones that do exist tend to be reactive rather than proactive,” she said. “Medical treatment focuses on managing symptoms through hospitalization, medication, and therapy. The criminal justice system reacts with arrest and imprisonment. However, the clubs are based on support and focus on recovery.
She said the model for the business is proven with more than 300 of them in more than 30 countries.
“People with mental illness are often isolated and stigmatized. Your road to recovery can be difficult without the right support and resources available,” she said. “Smith County Clubhouse is important because it follows a proven recovery model to help people who really need it in a way that allows them to become independent.”
Pruden said the organization hopes to be part of the solution for mental health recovery in the Smith County area.
There are no membership fees or cost to join. The organization also offers employment programs, which offer members transitional, supported and independent employment opportunities, he said.
To qualify for membership, a person must be 18 years of age or older, have a diagnosis of serious mental illness, be able to obtain a referral from a mental health provider, be committed to recovery, and be able to have respectful interactions with others.
The Smith County Clubhouse is currently looking for members.
For more information, call (903) 975-0480 or email [email protected].
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