Fountain House Club Model

A Fountain House is a clubhouse, which is structured in such a way that people with prolonged mental illness can get help to move forward in life by developing skills, be they personal, social as well as professional.

A Fountain House is not a traditional medical establishment but a workplace where equality, openness and care is paramount. Everyday life is characterized by an open atmosphere and caring for each other.

Fountain House model is based on three messages:
• To be expected
• To be desired
• be necessary

These three messages are the cornerstone of the Fountain House model. In addition, the model consists of the following assumptions:
• That every member can develop and get to lead a personally fulfilling life.
• That everyone has resources and potentials in a safe and stimulating environment that can be developed and put to use for the benefit of both oneself and the clubhouse.
• Work is an important identity factor in our lives and thus a central part in a Fountain House.
• That social aspect is central to getting better, ie. that need to be with other people to develop.

Development Opportunities
Basic Fountain House model is therefore a belief that people with longstanding mental illness has many development opportunities that can be developed through the work of a clubhouse.

Development opportunities or the concept of Recovery here is not simply understood as personal development. Development opportunities include personal, social and work aspects that are mutually connected. It is precisely Recovery in a meaningful context which is central to the Fountain House model.

Work importance
An important assumption in the Fountain House model is that the man's identity is closely associated with having a meaningful job. There is a belief that work, notably the ability to strive to employment is an evolving and reintegration of force in every human life. Everybody has skills and talents which, when exploited, can make your day worthwhile. Work is a central concept in the rehabilitation. Employee-student ratios are deliberately so low that it is impossible for the staff alone to perform their daily work. This means that members will have an important impact, as a Fountain House can only exist by virtue of members' attendance and active efforts.

It is in working together, we break down the traditional roles, and this is where the members' sense of responsibility, participation and self-esteem built up. The work-life trains member through daily routines responsibility, meeting the precision, concentration and ability to form social relationships.

Community and Relationships
Everyday life in a clubhouse built on a community where one is expected, wanted and needed. The Fountain House model focuses on the work-life. Focus is on work, but it is also the relationships that grow through the working community, which has a central role. In close cooperation occurs close relationships and we get to learn about each other.

Through their work does one go about something that is both beneficial to oneself and others. You become a part of something larger than oneself. The clubhouse is used mentoring principle, where you often work in pairs, where a more experienced support and train a less experienced. This increases confidence and self-esteem and the opportunity for personal development in both sides. This means that you will be able to take more responsibility.  But assuming  responsibility that extends beyond oneself. This makes accountability in a sense doubled. You obtain a special significance. Helping not only himself. Helping others too. An important part of life is indeed to pass something on to the benefit of others.

Important principles in daily life in a Fountain House
The work builds on the following fundamental principles:

• Volunteering
• Equality
• Openness
• Participation
• Use of resources

It is optional to participate in a Fountain House. It is important to be self motivated, since it is thus that one's work in the clubhouse is meaningful. As a member you have rights and obligations as such. agree working hours and goals with an employee. You choose the device you want to work and the employee that you would rather talk and collaborate. You select themselves into the tasks you think you can take responsibility for large and small, depending on how you feel.

Members and staff participate in an equal partnership in solving the daily running of the house such as to administer, maintain the house, cook, receiving guests, communication, etc.. Furthermore  two members sits of the Board and a member participating in job interviews. Equal Worth is not that we must have the same performance and similar roles, but everyone is an important part of the pulse in the house.

There is a very high degree of openness and participation. For example. Members who opens mail and phone fits. Every morning we read in yesterday's phone book up, and we inform about the week's program. It is important that each has a high level of information and knowledge about conditions in the house, as members and employees jointly make all decisions regarding this at a weekly meeting. Anyone can come up with items on the agenda and taking minutes of meetings, so everyone can follow what is decided. The great openness requires that all members have a moral obligation of secrecy. Employees have a legal duty of confidentiality.

We focus on the use of individual resources and strengths.

International guidelines
About 400 clubhouses throughout the world works under International Guidelines, which are written by members and staff together. The guidelines ensure members' rights and the basis for quality assurance of the targeted rehabilitation work in clubhouses.

The guidelines deal with matters relating to:
• Membership
• relationships
• Physical environment
• Work
• Education
• Club House function
• Funding, Management and Administration