Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitals
Associated PressAUSTIN, Texas — When Jonathan Denhart was discharged from the psych ward at Austin Oaks Hospital last year, he was prepared to be back very soon. “I think the main problem we deal with is that most people don’t know we are even here,” said Jennifer Cardenas, executive director of Austin Clubhouse, which helps around 1,300 people per year. I didn’t want to look at myself anymore.” Cardenas, the Austin Clubhouse director, said the feeling of being a burden is common among people with mental illness, and those who are hospitalized often have trouble integrating back into society. “This leads to isolation and oftentimes just makes things worse.” Step-down programs became popular in the early 1990s when states transitioned from housing people in state hospitals to offering services in community-based mental health centers. People at the Austin Clubhouse are referred to as “members” instead of clients or patients because the organization chooses not to focus on mental illness but instead on their strengths.
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