Twenty years ago this month, I got a call from Susan Klim at Emmanuel House, where I had just completed an overnight shift. Dr. Klim was then the Ellis Hospital Outpatient Director, and she was calling to offer me the job of running the soon-to-be Social Club, the brainchild of Vic Martini, then director of the Continuing Day Treatment Center. I remember my gasp of surprise and happiness, immediately followed by wondering what on earth I’d gotten myself into. Dr. Klim explained that this program was grant-funded and may not be supported beyond one year. It was worth a shot. My nickname at Mohawk Opportunities was “Holly, what’s for rec?” It was always gratifying to introduce residents to places and things they had never had an opportunity to experience.
Vic recognized the need for “consumers” to have a place to go where they could gather, feel safe and make friends. Before this club began, a group of NAMI volunteers and staff from the Ellis Hospital outpatient programs supervised a Wednesday evening gathering of cards, cheese and crackers, which was welcomed and well-attended by all. So, that’s where we started, along with Saturday programming to help fill empty weekends. We thought that we would have to stay on site at the Day Program, and it was heady to dare to go out into the community to visit parks, lakes or any place else within our budget.
We offered dinners on Wednesday evenings, cooked by a woman named Shirley who could only be described as “colorful.” Saturdays, we offered brunches, featuring pancake cook offs by Fred and Bill. We had a great staff – Margie, a secretary from the Ellis clinic – lively and with an outrageous sense of humor; Bill, ditto, and Cindy, who “grew up” to become a practicing social worker. We worked well together and spent most of our time laughing. I mean – working hard.
Vic had also started the Reach Out newsletter, which has grown to become a well-respected vehicle of information for our community and is now under the capable leadership of Mike Abair. Mike was hired right from the beginning to work on Reach Out and is now one of our full-time Ellis staff. I always enjoyed Mike – he “got it” and was another with an outrageous sense of humor.
Our week grew – from Wednesdays and Saturdays to include Thursdays and Fridays, and then we were open all week – Monday through Saturday. The growth was gradual, taking place over several months, to give us opportunity to figure out what we were doing. We’d try something; and, if it worked, it was in. If it didn’t work, it was out. Simple. Right from the beginning, we impressed upon our members that this was their club, and they had control over the policies and procedures. This was a new concept for those who were unfamiliar with having much control over their lives.
Noticing that most people lived alone and had little or no knowledge of good nutrition, we joined the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which subsidizes meals for qualified club members. This, in exchange for mind-numbing paperwork. Thanks to Mary Lou for making all of this work! We believe in a holistic approach to mental health, and a healthy body is imperative to this goal.
Before long, and with much lobbying, we were awarded enough money from OMH to move to our own quarters – one of the distinctions of a clubhouse is its discrete location. Figuring that it would be no problem to locate a facility in the mostly vacant downtown Schenectady, we spent weeks scouring the city before finally deciding on our current location, which has served us very well over the years. OMH, in return for “giving” us money, dictated that we would also hire consumer staff. Once again, I gasped. “Back then,” consumers were just that, and we “providers” “took care” of them. Long story short, Mike Abair was the first hired, and he’s still with us. And, just about every consumer staff has worked out exceptionally well. The trick was to elicit from them their skills and abilities, then build jobs around them. This has never failed. We’ve got a great group here – Ken, Bill, Howie, Marty, Andrew, etc., etc….they’re all loyal, hardworking and great assets to the club.
We do EVERYTHING…..whale-watching, downhill skiing, camping, white-water rafting, canoeing, softball, volunteer work and great holiday parties. We have a computer lab and a beauty shop, to mention a couple of features found right here at Collage. We’ve traveled to New York City, Boston, and all points in all directions. When the club started and we asked people what they wanted to do, they said that they’d like to go to Friendly’s for coffee….that being the extent of their experiences. Now, they can compare notes on their adventures, and you rarely heard them complain about their symptoms.
If someone has a need that cannot be met through regular channels, we can always find a way to make things work. We may not have a lot of money, but we’re creative and we care. It’s amazing how people are always ready to go out of their way to help others.
Lest anyone think this program is “frivolous,” be aware that we keep people safe. Safe from loneliness, fear, hunger and the torments of their illnesses. We work closely with other service providers to weave a safety net for our people. It is gratifying to not only help people to live an enhanced quality of life, but, in some cases, we actually save lives. Our long-term goal is to put ourselves out of business because we are outgrown. People are not only much healthier than they were twenty years ago, but they are becoming more self-actualized and finding their places in society. They are now working, going to school, making friends and writing their own scripts. Pretty amazing. Very gratifying. Thanks to all the powers that made this happen – we are all blessed.
By Holly What’s For Rec?
