Nothing can be more devastating for both the afflicted person or the individual's family than mental illness. After diagnosis and treatment, it can still be difficult for a mentally ill person to move on with life. Helping people with mental illness take those important next steps after diagnosis and treatment is an organization called Clubhouse.

With some 300 Clubhouses across the country, Nassau and Suffolk are fortunate to have such facilities. In Nassau, there are five separate centers coordinated by Stephen McLeod of the Nassau County Department of Mental Health. Clubhouse operations in Suffolk are managed by a single agency, Clubhouse of Suffolk. Michael Stoltz is the executive director. Necessary interaction between Nassau and Suffolk is assured, because Stephen McLeod serves on the board of directors of Clubhouse of Suffolk.

Clubhouses across the country provide support for those with mental illnesses by helping to monitor medication and course of an illness, while providing guidance in the development and reinforcement of workplace skills. Key to the success of the Clubhouse programs is the placement of people with mental illness in real jobs. The structure of a work environment accelerates the recovery process as stamina and independence blossom. Partnering with top Long Island businesses, Clubhouses provide the real jobs which are so critically needed by people with mental illness.

The cause of providing needed services like Clubhouse is supported by important public personalities who have all had a close experience in their own families with mental illness. US Senators Pete Domenici and Paul Wellstone, along with Tipper Gore and Florida Governor Lawton Chiles, himself a victim of depression, have all pitched in to highlight the challenges faced by those with diseases of the brain. From changes in insurance coverage to fighting myths about mental illness in the workplace, much more needs to be done and the Clubhouses across America are assisting those interested in change.

Addressing the role of Clubhouse of Suffolk, Michael Stoltz said to me recently, "Mental illnesses occur with the same preponderance as ever before, we just no longer need to condemn people to institutions as a means to address these illnesses. Our programs help promote the reality of hope, opportunity and recovery through dignified and restorative service. And, along the way, save individual, taxpayer, and employer dollars and a lot of personal pain."

Building on those words are the Four Beliefs of a Clubhouse¬

1. Even the most severely disabled psychiatric person can be productive.

2. Work is a deeply generative force in the life of every human being.

3. Beyond work, men and women require opportunities to interact socially¬support provided by Clubhouses.

4. Work and social opportunities are incomplete if living conditions are not also addressed.

If you would like to know more about the fine work of Clubhouses on Long Island, feel free to call 471-7242 in Suffolk and 571-2194 in Nassau.