Useful Ingredients of the Clubhouse Model: Systematic Reviews

Project summary

It is evidently more efficient to place adults diagnosed with severe mental illness into supported employment, instead of prevocational training. However, approaches that help to improve social skills, rather than job skills, may be highly useful. It appears that the clubhouse model, which is a community-based, non- residential, client centered psychosocial rehabilitation program, provides an intentional environment that creates a sense of belonging and social support, as well as contributes positively in peoples` processes of vocational recovery. However, as research in this area still is in an early stage, and health care moves towards payment by result, identifying which elements of the program may stimulate to service users work participation is crucial. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore and examine published research on the perceived and measured outcomes of the Club House Model with respect to vocational recovery. Methods: Two systematic reviews;one covering the qualitative studies and the other the quantitative; searching AMED, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE (R) and PsycINFO; key words: `Fountain House` OR `Club House` OR `transitional employment` OR `work –ordered day`. Inclusion criteria: peer- reviewed original research in English; published 1995-2015; quantitative and qualitative, adults with SMI. This study will exclude theoretical articles, book reviews, letters to editors, non- peer reviewed articles, program descriptions, publications before 1995. In the processes of analyzing and synthesizing the findings, a thematic analysis will be undertaken, using mind maps. Implications the results of this study might be to validate and justify the clubhouse daily practice, as a useful program of enabling service users to work participation.