Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health Community Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Advocates ask county to support Brighter House clubhouse model for serious mental illness
Summary
Brighter House organizers requested county support and funding advice for a clubhouse‑model psychosocial rehabilitation program serving people with severe mental illness; speakers said the nonprofit has met licensing and non‑profit requirements and is serving about 15 members.
Sherry McGimpsy, an advocate for Brighter House, briefed the Board during informal public comment on March 17 about a local clubhouse model for people living with severe and persistent mental illness. ‘‘The clubhouse model is the gold standard in community‑based mental health treatment of people living with a severe and persistent mental illness,’’ McGimpsy said.
Nut graf: McGimpsy said Brighter House has secured nonprofit status, a board of directors, DHHS licensing, and billing approval through local behavioral health partners; she asked the county for funding support and recommendations as the program grows.
McGimpsy described learning visits to established clubhouses — Fountain House (New York), Adventure House (Shelby), Club Nova (Carrboro) and Threshold (Durham) — and said the local nonprofit has added two staff and is serving about 15 members, with referrals waiting. She explained that licensing requires one staff per eight members and described temporary cash‑flow issues while membership grows. McGimpsy said the clubhouse serves the 4 percent of the population with the most serious diagnoses (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe PTSD, obsessive‑compulsive disorder and related conditions) and emphasized reduced hospitalization and improved employment outcomes from the clubhouse approach.
Ending: McGimpsy asked commissioners for funding recommendations and offered to provide data or host site visits for interested officials.
