In partnership with our sister agency Common Collab, Clubhouse is a reinvention of the traditional outpatient structure; an attempt to build the type of clinical program we want to attend.
When we were designing Clubhouse, we drew upon the lessons learned from years of experience both participating in outpatient groups and facilitating them. We have seen firsthand that outpatient treatment can be a transformative experience for participants, but also how the traditional IOP format can at times feel stifling, rigid, and overwhelming for some. With Clubhouse, we designed a program that takes the best parts of traditional outpatient and melds it with an innovative and interdisciplinary approach that rethinks what an IOP can be. We emphasize a collaborative approach, one that is responsive to client interests and needs. An ever-evolving curriculum means that groups are more dynamic and do not become stale for longtime clients in the way that the traditional form so often does.
While still grounding the curriculum in key concepts like relapse prevention, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), we also draw on other fields and concerns with the goal of answering the question: what does a healthy, rewarding, and sustainable life look like for each of us as unique individuals? To understand that, we focus not just on the use of alcohol and substances but also on broader social issues and mental health concerns, be it relationships and attachment, grief and loss, or masculinity. We utilize somatic approaches focused on the body and trauma-sensitive groups that attend to each client's strengths and resiliency. We also draw on Buddhist philosophies and traditions surrounding mental health and addiction through groups utilizing Recovery Dharma. Finally, we seek to understand the longer history of how society both views and treats individuals struggling with mental health issues and/or substance use disorders. To do so, we look at how film and media has shaped perceptions of addiction and helped further the stigma that so often attaches to those struggling with substances.
In emphasizing these varied clinical approaches, the Clubhouse stresses the idea that there is no single answer to what recovery looks like and how each of us might best find structure and stability in our daily lives. Clients are therefore empowered to come to their own answers in a safe and supportive environment guided by licensed facilitators.
Clubhouse facilitators include:
