Mental Health Advocacy

Clubhouse International World Seminar

The Clubhouse International World Seminar aims to showcase the remarkable efforts of our Clubhouse network and provide a platform to strengthen our collective impact. It is the largest gathering of our community, bringing together Clubhouse members, staff, mental health advocates and stakeholders. This event is designed to be the most inclusive global mental health training of its kind! In 2025, we had 650 attendees from 16 countries, 32 U.S. states, nearly 170 Clubhouses, and several global mental health organizations. Learn more.

U.S. Clubhouse Week of Action

Clubhouse International and Fountain House Power 2025 U.S. Clubhouse Week of Action

From May 19-23, 2025, Clubhouse International partnered with Fountain House to lead the U.S. Clubhouse Week of Action—an inspiring, US nationwide initiative that showcased the power of the Clubhouse Model in transforming lives and building stronger, healthier communities. Learn more.

Global Community Mental Health Summit

Clubhouse International Executive Director Joel Corcoran and David Malatesta (Fontenehuset Drammen, Norway) were invited as leaders in the mental health field to present at the Global Community Mental Health Summit 2024 in Portugal that was hosted by our partner Boehringer Ingelheim.

WANA Webinars

Since 2020, Clubhouse International and Fountain House have presented a webinar series on relevant topics for the worldwide Clubhouse community. The thirty-sixth webinar, The Clubhouse International Seminar: Maximize Your Experience, was presented on April 30, 2025. Watch our most recent webinars here!

Clubhouse International Participates in NAMI Convention

Executive Director Joel D. Corcoran and COO, Jack Yatsko, hosted a booth at NAMI's National Convention held on June 19-22 in Seattle WA, which attracted over 1,500 participants. The Convention gave us chance to interact with hundreds of family members, professionals and others interested in learning more about our work to change the world of mental health through the Clubhouse model.

Partnership with US Hill Day at Home

In 2022, we were a proud partner of US Hill Day at Home, along with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and more than 20 leading advocacy organizations. This virtual advocacy event offers a great opportunity to raise awareness about critical mental health and substance use care issues, and call for expanded services.

Clubhouse International in Maine

In March, COO Jack Yatsko, and two Maine Clubhouse Directors, Lisa Soucie of High Hopes Clubhouse and Carrie Lyn Lemos of Unlimited Solutions Clubhouse, met with Governor Paul LePage and other Maincare and DHHS officials. The result is that Maine now has their own billing code for Accredited Clubhouses to bill Medicaid within the state, which makes qualifying Clubhouse services even more affordable for members. It’s a big win and will likely result in the opening of more Maine Clubhouses. This momentus decision follows on the heels of similar decisions in Michigan and Indiana.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Supports Accredited Clubhouses

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has seen dramatic improvements in member outcomes at those Clubhouses that have achieved Clubhouse International Accreditation. As a result, they have made Accreditation a requirement for all Clubhouse programs in Michigan. Clubhouse International, MDHHS and our Michigan Clubhouse Coalition are partnering to ensure success: we expect the number of Accredited Clubhouses in Michigan to double from 15 to 30 in two years, and grow to 40 by December 2018, which is the MDHHS deadline for full Accreditation of all Michigan Clubhouses.

Clubhouse International Host Bi-Annual World Seminar in Denver, USA

Our bi-annual World Seminar in Detroit Michigan welcomed more than 700 attendees from 151 Clubhouses across 16 countries. Guest speakers included USA National Wellness Institute, Harvard Medical School/Global Movement for Mental Health, and the USA National Council on Behavioral Healthcare. More than 80 workshops, institutes and plenary sessions were held on topics ranging from emerging Clubhouse best practices in Young Adult programming to research, board development and accreditation.

Leading Healthcare Consulting Firm Includes Toolkit for Making Medicaid Billing More Clubhouse-Friendly

In 2016, the NY Community Trust project with Health Management Associates (HMA) will include developing a toolkit for advocating with state government to make Medicaid billing more Clubhouse-friendly. HMA is a leading independent national research and consulting firm in the healthcare industry.

Clubhouse International Co-Sponsors 12th World Congress of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Seoul Korea

In November 2015, Joel Corcoran, Executive Director of Clubhouse International, presented at a symposium promoting the Clubhouse model along with members and staff from Taiwha Fountain House (our training base in Seoul), Colleen McKay of the Program for Clubhouse Research at UMASS and Professor Chung. Joel also participated in a presidential symposium at the Congress regarding the future of psychosocial rehabilitation. Many Congress attendees from Asia and around the world also toured Taiwha Fountain House.

Clubhouse International Participates in the World Federation for Mental Health's Mental Health Conference

In April 2015, Clubhouse International participated in the World Federation for Mental Health’s Mental Health Conference in Lille, France, where a workshop on psychosocial rehabilitation was organized in collaboration with World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR). The Clubhouse model was presented by Mark Lanier (Chair of Clubhouse International), Wander Reitsma (Chair of Clubhouse Europe) and Esko Hänninen.

Colleagues from Clubhouse Europe Attend and Present the Clubhouse Model at Various Mental Health Conferences in 2015

Our colleagues and friends in Clubhouse Europe (our European Clubhouse Coalition), attended and presented the Clubhouse model at various mental health conferences in 2015, including:

• European Conference of World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR), where a symposium on psychosocial innovations was organized (April). The Clubhouse model was presented by Esko Hänninen (Clubhouse Europe), Francesco Baglioni (Director of Club Itaca Milano) and Henrik Wahlberg (President of WAPR).
• European Conference on Mental Health (October), where a work-shop was presented by our Finnish Clubhouse Coalition.
• Mental Health Europe’s Capacity-Building Event on the UN Convention for Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and how it should be applied in the field of Mental Health (December). A first-ever workshop on the Clubhouse model was presented by Emily Adamberry Olivero, Director of our Gibraltar Clubhouse

Clubhouse International becomes an Affiliate Member of the National Council on Behavioral Healthcare

Clubhouse International became an Affiliate Member of the National Council on Behavioral Healthcare, and is now an official Hill Day Partner for the largest national mental health advocacy effort each year in Washington, D.C.

Executive Director Joel Corcoran Writes President Obama on Behalf of Clubhouses

Executive Director Joel Corcoran wrote a letter to President Obama on behalf of Clubhouse International asking him to support mental health as an important part of any post-2015 health-related Millennium Development Goals.

Clubhouse International Co-Sponsor of Healthier Longer Lives Conference

Clubhouse International was a Collaborating Sponsor for the Healthier Longer Lives for people with serious mental illness international conference in November. The conference partners were Fountain House, WHO Center for Global Mental Health at Columbia University, CitiesRISE and Grand Challenges Canada. Clubhouse International sponsored several low income country participants in this event raising awareness and highlighting innovations and scientific advancements promoting healthcare and wellness for people with mental illness.

Clubhouse International Coordinates USA National Clubhouse Conference

More than 300 participants joined us in Washington, D.C. on October 14-16 for the 2018 USA National Clubhouse Conference. The conference emphasized state and national advocacy efforts to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Clubhouse approach to psychosocial rehabilition, along with educational workshops and presentations focused on strengthening key aspects of the Clubhouse Model. Distinguished presenters included: U.S. Senator Chris Van Holland (D-MD); Tom Henry, Mayor of Fort Wayne, IN; Michael Petruzzelli, Manager, Policy & Advocacy, National Council of Behavioral Health, and HannahWesolowski, Director Field Advocacy for USA National Alliance on Mental Health to discuss how to effectively convey our message to local, state and national decision-makers. While in the Washington D.C. area many participants visited the offices of their congressional representatives to advocate for Clubhouses and people living with mental illness.

Clubhouse International Participates in Kennedy Forum Event

Clubhouse International participated in the Kennedy Forum event titled “The New Frontier in Mental Health and Addiction” with former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, several members of the U. S. Congress and other national mental health advocates.

Clubhouse International Partners with United for Global Mental Health

A developing partnership with a new leading global advocacy effort, United for Global Mental Health included highlighting Clubhouse members at theirmeetings during the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Clubhouse International Partners with Hill Day on Federal Advocacy Effort

Clubhouse International partnered with Hill Day, hosted by National Council on Behavioral Health in April 2018, to advocate with federal legislators and decision-makers around the most pressing issues affecting people with mental illness in the United States.

First-ever VIRTUAL USA Clubhouse Conference

The conference, held October 8-9, 2020, drew 1,100 registrants from 207 Clubhouses/organizations, 8 countries and 37 US states. The program offered two plenary sessions and 13 workshops. Several guest speakers noted the contributions and advocacy efforts of Clubhouse International and the US Clubhouses, including: Debbie Stabenow, US Senator, Michigan; Andrew Sperling, Director, Legislative Affairs, Advocacy & Public Policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness; Dr. Jeffrey Geller, President, American Psychiatric Association.

VIRTUAL World Seminar

The 2021 VIRTUAL World Seminar, held on October 4-8, attracted over 1,300 participants from 27 countries, 35 U.S. states, and nearly 200 Clubhouses, in addition to several global mental health organizations and stakeholders. Guest speakers included Dr. Ingrid Daniels, President, World Federation for Mental Health, who opened the proceedings.

World Mental Health Day Collaboration

Each year, Clubhouse International collaborates with the World Federation of Mental Health to advance global and community solutions for addressing mental illness by raising awareness, reducing stigma, empowering communities, encouraging greater investment from key stakeholders, and celebrating achievements. Learn about our 2024 campaign here.