title: Building a Working Community: Staff Practices in a Clubhouse for People with Severe Mental Illness.
abstract: The trademark of mental health clubhouses is that members and staff work side-by-side in partnership to enhance members' autonomy, competency, and recovery. To explore the intricacies of this unique approach, the author conducted 53 in-depth interviews and 262 h of participant observation in 41 visits over a five-month period in a clubhouse. Findings indicated that staff members built the clubhouse as a "working community" by skillfully integrating three practice domains: social relationships, unit work, and individuals' needs and pursuits. Distinctive skillsets helped to develop genuine relationships with members and facilitate community building, suggesting a model of generalist practice with specific intentionality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Welfare, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Minhsiung Township, Chiayi County, 62102, Taiwan, ROC. fpchen@ccu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Fang-Pei
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3098-4883
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D010379:Peer Group; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014937:Work
keywords: Generalist practice; Mental health recovery; Psychosocial rehabilitation; The clubhouse model; Working community