- The state of New York is planning a major expansion of community-based mental health support programs across the state, with a focus on establishing up to eight new “Clubhouses” outside of New York City, using $6.6 million in funding from the FY 2026 state budget.
- The Clubhouses will serve adults living with mental health challenges by offering social support, job resources, and life skills training, and will operate as voluntary, member-driven programs where participants work alongside staff to help run daily operations.
- According to Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan, the Clubhouses will provide New Yorkers with vital support networks and community connections, facilitating educational and vocational opportunities that participants can rely on as they continue their recovery and become more independent.
- The funding levels for the Clubhouses vary by region, with providers able to apply for up to $551,175 a year in rural counties, $956,765 in suburban counties, and $1.45 million annually in Erie, Monroe, and Westchester counties, with awards running for five years.
- The Clubhouses must operate at least five days a week and offer regular evening and weekend activities, and each program must also operate out of its own physical space, with research linking the model to improved quality of life, higher self-esteem, lower hospitalization rates, and increased participation in employment.
- The $6.6 million in funding is part of a broader $196 million investment included in the enacted state budget to strengthen the mental health care system, which also includes money for new Youth Safe Spaces statewide, and has been praised by Fountain House Chief Executive Officer Ken Zimmerman as a proven approach to recovery.
- Zimmerman stated that the investment reinforces the proven impact of the Clubhouse model, where community is therapy, and helps people living with serious mental illness lead meaningful lives and thrive together, with the goal of growing a model that focuses on choice, independence, and community connection.
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