LAYTON—Sara hadn’t worked in more than 20 years but now she has a permanent part-time job with Culver’s. That’s thanks to Davis Behavior Health Journey House, an evidence based psychosocial rehabilitation program for adults with serious and persistent mental illness.

“Prior to World War II, if someone had a serious mental illness they were pretty much either hospitalized for their life or incarcerated,” said Matt Reed, director of Journey House. “I’m not sure exactly what happened during World War II but they decided a lot of these people could have a meaningful life.”

So they were sending them out of the hospital, he said. “There was a group of people out of the New York State Hospital that were all patients at one point in time and were sent out. I’m sure they were friends from the hospital and they just started to meet together and they met on the steps of the public library in Manhattan.”

They called themselves WANA, said Reed. “That stood for ‘We Are Not Alone.’ If you think about it, even that would be pretty revolutionary now, let alone 70 years ago.” 

This group purchased a building that is still there today, he said. “It’s about a block away from Times Square. In the back of the building was a fountain so they called themselves Fountain House. That was the first clubhouse model program. It’s just amazing to think that this group of consumers started this thing.”

For a while they just kind of hung out, Reed said. “Then after a while they wanted to do something productive with their life. They actually hired staff to help them organize what they wanted to do.”

That is the basis of the first clubhouse in the world, he said. “But what happened was people heard about this unique program. It’s unique in a lot of different areas.”

Number one is that everyone comes because they want to come, said Reed. “No one has to come. That’s the important part. The idea is we help people kind of get used to getting up and working throughout the day. So we have a kitchen and we make breakfast and lunch every day from scratch.”

In the clerical unit they learn how to write grants and donation requests, he said. “All reception work is done by our members. Everything to run our building is done by our members and staff side by side together.”

When a member at the clubhouse has been working for a period of time the next step is helping them work outside in the community, Reed said. “We’ve got one called transitional employment. We have five placements and we often have them try one of the five placements.”

They last for nine months, he said. “If they’re unable to make it, my staff will go and cover for them. So it’s kind of a safety net, a safety blanket. After the nine months they will end and someone else will take their spot.”

Sara took part in the transitional employment program. “It’s interesting how I got the job (at Culver’s). I started out cutting meat products at a place where they sell meat and that didn’t work out and a couple of days later Culver’s opened up. A staff member said ‘I think this would be really good for you.’ I said no, no I don’t think so I haven't worked in over 25 years.”

Sara said she decided to go for it. “I started in December of 2022. It was for nine months. Then last year they decided to hire me as a part-time employee so I’ve been working there for about three years now.”

It’s really nice to have something to do and somewhere to go and people to be with, she said. “Before I joined Journey House I was doing nothing but sleeping, eating and watching TV. I was stuck in a rut.”

It’s just a wonderful program to get involved with, said Sara. “I’ve made a lot of friends at Journey House. It’s like they’re my family.”