Village Clubhouse Opens in Topsham

Kennebec Behavioral Health is pleased to announce that The Village Clubhouse, located in the middle village area of Topsham is now open and actively taking referrals for new members. The Village Clubhouse provides employment, education and social opportunities for people with severe and persistent mental illness. The Clubhouse joins its sister Clubhouses in Maine – Looking Ahead Clubhouse in Lewiston, Capitol Clubhouse in Augusta, High Hopes Clubhouse in Waterville (all operated by KBH) and Unlimited Solutions in Bangor which is operated by Penobscot Community Health Centers (PCHC). Each Clubhouse in Maine is also affiliated with and accredited by Clubhouse International (www.ICCD.org).

At Clubhouse, members work side by side with staff to oversee daily operations. This includes providing tours, event planning, budgeting, transportation services, food service, and building maintenance. An in-house prevocational program offers literacy skills and driver education, and provides opportunities for members to strengthen their vocational, social and emotional skills. Through the Clubhouse Transitional Employment program, members have the opportunity to work at a paid part-time job and can stay on that job for six to nine months to gain experience and skills in a real work environment. If for some reason the member is unable to be at work, a Clubhouse staff person who is also trained for that job will take his/her place.

Candy Lessard, director of Village Clubhouse is thrilled that Clubhouse services are now available in the Topsham area. “For me, Clubhouse is much more than a Vocational Rehabilitation program. In every sense of the word, Clubhouse is a community of people working together to support each other achieve their lifelong goals. For some members, that means access to meaningful employment opportunities. For many others, just knowing they are part of a program that focuses on embracing each person’s individual strengths and feeling need and wanted by the Clubhouse community gives that individual a reason to get out of bed every morning” stated Lessard.

To be eligible for Clubhouse services, one must be covered by MaineCare and have a mental health diagnosis. The only other requirement is the desire to be an active part of the clubhouse community and to work on areas of their own career development as part of their journey of recovery and success.

Village Clubhouse is located at 119 Main Street in Topsham and is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Prospective members and interested community members are encouraged to contact Ms. Lessard to set up a tour of the facility by calling 207-837-6260 or e-mailing clessard@kbhmaine.org. The Clubhouse also has a website – www.villageclubhouse.org.

Local employers who are interested in partnering with the Village Clubhouse to provide entry level transitional employment placements are also encourage to contact the Clubhouse to learn more and to meet KBH’s dedicated team of Clubhouse colleagues.

Kennebec Behavioral Health was founded in 1960 and operates clinics in Waterville, Skowhegan, Winthrop, Augusta and Farmington. For more information, or to schedule an appointment for any KBH service, call 1-888-322-2136. Information can also be found at www.kbhmaine.org.