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Work-Ordered
Day

The daily activity of a Clubhouse is organized around a structured system known as the work-ordered day. Members and staff work side by side as colleagues to perform the work that is important to their community. Instead of traditional talk therapy, members and staff share responsibility for running every aspect of the Clubhouse. By sharing responsibility for critical work, members and staff build relationships focused on each other’s strengths and gifts, rather than weaknesses and liabilities. In this environment, the real needs of the community, and individual members, create meaning. Helping each other address those needs builds confidence and self-esteem. It also creates the shared activities through which positive and helpful relationships are developed. These relationships ultimately create the fabric of a profoundly regenerative community.

Example Day

9 - 10 am

  • Check in/welcome

  • Introductions

  • Brief Overview of Clubhouse Concept Highlighting these points

  • Everything is voluntary/participants free to stay as long as they want, do as much as they want

  • We encourage members to participate/they will get the benefit of greater self-esteem and confidence

10 - 11 am

  • Work-ordered day (these will change to specific needs of a day but may include any of the following units) Staff person should go to white board and go down list, asking who would like to do each one. This will all depend on how many are in the Clubhouse at the time.

  • Housekeeping: vacuum/dust/garbage/water plant

  • Beautification: putting pictures up/creating some new ones??

  • Gardening: Potted herb garden to start with/outside in Spring

  • Clerical: thank you notes/flyers/filing/setting up files/keeping or compiling data

  • Food: Making a shopping list/putting together collection of recipes/listing

  • Favorite lunch menus

11 - 1 pm

  • Go shopping

  • Prepare and serve lunch

  • Clean up

1 -2:30 pm

  • Finish any clerical task or continue working on project started in morning (flyers, write

  • Testimonials for website/take photos/brainstorm ideas to make it better)

  • Use TV to show videos about other clubhouses/discuss

  • Explain membership process/help fill out forms

  • Open discussion about participant needs (employment, transportation, housing, etc.)

  • Possible opportunity here: guided discussions on some of 8 Dimensions of Wellness

  • Possible walk around neighborhood or simple chair stretches/exercises

2:30 - 3:30 pm

  • Organizational meeting: Everyone present is welcome at the meeting

3:30 - 5 pm

  • Decompress day/what did you like/not like/could do better

  • Possible suggestion box for members to write and drop in ideas

Work-Ordered Day
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