Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit

A Place of Our Own Clubhouse

The purpose of A Place of Our Own is to assist individuals with mental illness to function in their living, working and social environments. This involves creating an atmosphere that encourages vocational and social development and enables individuals to lead personally satisfying and socially productive lives.

The focus of A Place of Our Own is to promote recovery by reversing the separation individuals with mental illness experience and bring them together with processes of a healthy life. Members experience an increased sense of well-being and empowerment in the design and delivery of services at the clubhouse.

A Place of Our Own membership is composed of persons who have a serious mental illness and staff who work within the clubhouse. A clubhouse participant is called a member because the program is first and foremost a club with definite rights of membership. These rights include a choice of employment or whether to work at all, a selection of a staff member as an advisor, and a lifetime right to re-enter the program and access community support services. The rights of membership are balanced with responsibilities. Members are expected to run their clubhouse by taking on essential tasks as part of a work-ordered day. Staff and members work side-by-side to accomplish tasks and activities necessary to support and maintain the program. Clubhouse activities include, but are not limited to, work ordered-day skill development, member outreach and support, monitoring and feedback regarding symptom management/recovery, community resource development, vocational/educational support and assistance, and social/recreational supports and opportunities. The activities are carried out in the clubhouse units and committees.

A Place of Our Own increases the work readiness of each member (i.e., transitional, supported, and/or independent community employment) and increases the members strength, leading to an improved level of activity.

Contact Information:

Benita Koyton, MSW, LLMSW
Manager, Psychosocial Rehabilitation
9622 Grand River Avenue
Detroit, MI 48204
Phone: (313) 931-0901

Funded by Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency

Admission Requirements

Prospective members:

Must be interested in the clubhouse and voluntarily participate in the program.
Must be at least eighteen years old with a primary, validated DSM IV Axis I diagnosis of a serious and persistent mental illness.
Must reside in Detroit and/or Wayne County.
Are expected to have identified psychosocial rehabilitative goals (i.e. psychiatric symptom identification and care, competency building and environmental support) that can be achieved in a supportive and structured environment.
Are unable to resume work, family and/or school responsibilities to their desired level of performance without psychosocial rehabilitative services.
Must have the ability to participate in and benefit from the activities necessary to support the program and its members, without requiring consistent ‘one-on-one’ supervision of staff.
Must have documentation of a recent medical and psychiatric evaluation (within the last 12 months).

The individual’s community mental health case manager, therapist or psychiatrist must complete a referral packet prior to the first day of attendance at the clubhouse.