City Celebrates New Clubhouse in Brooklyn for New Yorkers with Serious Mental Illness - NYC Health

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City Celebrates New Clubhouse in Brooklyn for New Yorkers with Serious Mental Illness

Venture House Brooklyn Is Welcoming Members Into a Temporary Space To Collaborate on Developing the Program’s Permanent Home

This Is Among the First New Locations Contracted Under $30 Million in Additional Investments

January 30, 2025 — The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Venture House celebrated the opening of the city’s new clubhouses at Venture House Brooklyn’s transitional space at 885 Rogers Avenue. Participants, called members, will be able to help build the local programs from the ground up.

Clubhouses are free, member-led spaces with programs that facilitate social connections, access to resources, and supported employment and educational services for adults experiencing serious mental illness (SMI) through a supportive community of peers.

“Our neighbors living with serious mental illness deserve safe, welcoming spaces and resources that allow them to set and reach their own goals.” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “Through programming and a model encouraging autonomy, clubhouses like Venture House do just that. I look forward to working with our community partners to continue expanding their reach.”

Construction on Venture House Brooklyn’s new space in Flatbush, located around the corner from the current site, is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The new 12,000-square-foot clubhouse will include a kitchen, a dining room, meeting spaces, and a wellness center.

The Health Department began the process for new clubhouse contracts in 2023 — after more than two decades — through a $30 million investment of City and state dollars to expand the clubhouse model and double previous funding. New contracts will allow more people to engage with reinvigorated services and allow new facilities to open in high-need areas.

Supporting New Yorkers with SMI is a pillar of Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City, which details the City’s mental health agenda. Goals outlined in the plan include expanding access to clubhouses, which have been shown to reduce hospitalization and engagement with the criminal justice system and to improve member well-being.

In addition to the Brooklyn site, Venture House has opened a temporary space in the Bronx and begun work on their permanent location. New York Disaster Interfaith Services has opened their first clubhouse location on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Opening in temporary space allows organizations to enlist members in the design of the permanent clubhouse location and the development of the clubhouse community. The clubhouse model is rooted in the concept that ongoing engagement in purposeful activity brings meaning to life and promotes health and recovery. Members are involved in decision-making and work side by side with staff to build and run the clubhouses.

To find a clubhouse near you, visit NYC Health: Serious Mental Illness for a list of locations or call 311 for assistance.

“The clubhouse model has transformed the lives of people suffering from severe mental illness by offering them a caring and safe environment filled with opportunities for friendship, employment, and access to medical and psychiatric services,” said Council Member Linda Lee, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction. “Thanks to Venture House, this model continues to expand to communities most in need with the opening of their brand-new Brooklyn location. As our city continues to grapple with the difficulties of the mental health crisis, it is clear that this model is truly community-centered and worthy of expansion. Good policy comes from the grassroots and this could not have been possible without all of the efforts of the advocates and government partners gathered today.”

“Venture House is a key factor in supporting and promoting mental health and wellness for all,” said Venture House Chief Executive Officer Juliet Douglas. “The Clubhouse is the quintessential example of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

“I am thankful to Venture House for being there for me, accepting me, respecting me, and letting me know that I am human,” said Venture House Member Nyla Issac.

About Venture House

Since its founding, Venture House has been committed to empowering individuals with serious mental illness to achieve their fullest potential. Through community-based support, members work side-by-side with staff to build meaningful connections and gain access to employment, education, and wellness programs.

More information on how to join Venture House Brooklyn can be found by emailing Info@venturehouse.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Vick: PressOffice@health.nyc.gov