Clubhouse Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a restorative environment for people who have experienced life-changing mental illness, has opened its first stand-alone facility in Dunwoody.
The 3,100 square-foot space, located at 4536 Barclay Drive, will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. The operation moves from shared space at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, less than a mile away.
Executive Director Denise Brodsky said Clubhouse Atlanta is one of more than 300 such facilities worldwide, offering services for people ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. The non-residential facility does not service people with age-related conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
“The members of Clubhouse Atlanta are here to learn life and employment skills,” Brodsky said. “We help them with resume-building, workplace etiquette, and skills training so they can reach their potential as valued and contributing members of their community.”
Brodsky said the new space allows club members and staff room to concentrate on different aspects of the program, which includes culinary training and other life/job skills.
“Every member is involved in running the clubhouse,” she said.
According to its website, Clubhouse Atlanta was founded by Susie Kyle and Bill McClung in 2018.
“After years of involvement with the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) and having personal experience caring for family members struggling with mental illness, they determined that a personalized approach to care in a community-based setting was an effective way to help one achieve recovery and reach their full potential,” the website said.
The two discovered Clubhouse International, an evidence-based model of psychosocial rehabilitation that is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Clubhouse Atlanta was approved as a nonprofit and opened its doors at the church in October 2020.
“We are excited that we will now have the space to expand the program to more people,” Brodsky said. “We also want to form more partnerships with businesses like the one we have with the Perimeter Chamber to provide our members with entry-level positions to help further develop their job skills.”
