Creating Hope Through Community-Based Mental Health at Austin Clubhouse
Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people. – Karen Salmansohn
Over the last month, I retired from working at Austin Clubhouse, attended the wedding of my law school roommate’s son, lost a dear friend suddenly to terminal illness, volunteered for election campaigns, and spent several days in Marfa, Texas looking out at the high desert and surrounding mountains. I visited the Blackwell School Museum, which recently gained recognition as a national historic site, a reminder of Texas’ history of ethnic and racial segregation. ?I have felt a mixture of sorrow and joy, fear and hope.
For me, the common thread in these events is the reminder that hope always springs from our connection to and compassion for self and others. My late friend, Kay, was a paragon of hospitality, connection and hope, beloved by all fortunate enough to know her.
In Atlas of the Heart (p.97), Brene Brown states that hope is “not a warm fuzzy emotion that fills us with a sense of possibility. Hope is a way of thinking—a cognitive process.” Brown cites researcher C.A. Synder who states that hope is a “’trilogy of goals, pathways and agency.’” “We experience hope”, says Brown,?when: 1. We have the ability to set realistic goals…2. We are able to figure out how to achieve those goals, including the ability to stay flexible and develop alternative pathways…and 3. We have agency- we believe in ourselves.”
Working at Austin Clubhouse taught me that having access to “community”—a place and culture of purpose, meaning and belonging, is essential to create hope. Austin Clubhouse creates hope for adults living with mental health diagnoses by offering a safe space (in person and on-line) where members can work side-by-side with staff and other members to attain their goals for recovery, employment, education, housing, and whole health. ?Shared work includes on-site and on-line activities, meal and snack preparation, socials, phone-calls, emails, mailouts and mobile outreach. ?Austin Clubhouse is an intentional community where everyone knows that they matter. ?
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I am enclosing a video that members and staff made for my retirement party. The point is not to tell you about me, but to give you a glimpse of some of the people--the vast and oceanic heart that is Austin Clubhouse.
I am grateful for my experiences working with the members, staff and board of Austin Clubhouse and the many organizations that work with them. I hope that Austin Clubhouse can continue to grow with Austin and remain a welcoming, free community for the 1 in 5 adults living with mental health diagnoses. That won’t be easy under current economic conditions, especially in a state ranked 51st in the nation for its support for mental health.
I plan to remain a friend and donor. I urge you to donate as you are able. Your donation will continue the life-giving mental health recovery supports that are available to Austin Clubhouse’s 1300+ current, lifetime members. The goodness from your donation will create hope that ripples throughout the larger Austin community. www.austinclubhouse.org
To learn more about the Clubhouse model of mental health recovery, visit Clubhouse International at https://clubhouse-intl.org