Seattle BrainWorksTBI Clubhouse Update

TBI CouncilNovember 1, 2012

Mike Hatzenbeler Erin RantsPROVAIL President/CEO Program Director

THE CLUBHOUSE MODEL

Based on a model started in 1948 for people with psychiatric disabilities

Follows International Brain Injury Clubhouse Association (IBICA) Standards- Member-driven- Productivity focus

Only 16 IBICA brain injury clubhouses in the world

Participants are “members,” not “patients” or “clients.”

WHY A CLUBHOUSE PROGRAM? After medical rehabilitation, survivors

sometimes experience an abrupt ending to their recovery.

Role of “patient” ends and survivors can also lose important markers of identity – worker, friend, partner, parent.

Progress can be slow, and the survivors can be isolated with no routine, no goals, little purpose

The clubhouse offers routine, structure, support from peers, goal setting, measurable progress, opportunities to learn/re-learn skills and to pursue paid employment

SCHEDULE

9:00am – 3:00pm, Tuesday-Friday

Monday is currently a day for staff work/planning

There are occasional evening/weekend group activities – currently approximately once per month

Structured, day-long, work-related activities — the Clubhouse is a member-driven place of work

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CLUBHOUSE?

Members divide into two work units and take on tasks that are central to the operation of the Clubhouse

Business Unit: budgeting, planning, communications, snack bar operations (shopping, stocking, inventory, cash handling)

Kitchen Unit: menu planning, budgeting, shopping, preparation, serving, cleaning

Work units help members engage in task analysis, initiation, and sequencing

MEMBERSHIP

Growth:Growth:

March 2010: 14 active members; March 2010: 14 active members; average of 3 members/day.average of 3 members/day.

September 2012: 26 active members; September 2012: 26 active members; average of 10 members/day. Some average of 10 members/day. Some days we see 4 members, some days 17.days we see 4 members, some days 17.

Total membership is 72 with 1-2 new Total membership is 72 with 1-2 new members joining every month.members joining every month.

WHO MEMBERS ARE

Gender 70% male 30% female

o Age 18-24 – 10% 25-44 – 38%

45-64 – 49% 65+ – 3%

Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.

PHYSICAL/COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES

Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.

THINKING/BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES

Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.

EMPLOYMENT AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Employment Support Members receive support to open a case with DVR. If members choose, they can receive supported

employment services from PROVAIL’s Employment Program

Supported Employment Services can include: vocational profiles job development job coaching

Volunteering Group Activity Development by 4 occupational therapy Masters

students of a regularly-scheduled volunteer opportunity for a group of members to do outside the Clubhouse. May involve volunteering with an animal rescue organization or at a food bank.

SUCCESSES

More time spent in the program, reducing isolation: A year ago, we had an average of 6.5 members per day;

now see an average of 11 per day.

Being involved: 58% surveyed feel “very much so” or “completely” involved in decision-making at the Clubhouse. Another 26% feel “somewhat involved.”

Social skills: 50% surveyed feel that the program has helped them “a lot” in increasing socialization skills, (interacting with peers, making friends).

Thinking skills: 42% surveyed fell that the program has helped them “a lot” in increasing skills in thinking (attention, problem-solving).

CHALLENGES

Difficulties for TBI survivors to break out of isolation and seek support

Emotional dysregulation sometimes makes for challenging group dynamics

Groups, bright lights, and noise can be overstimulating

Balancing act between members’ ideas and programmatic/funding/safety realities.

Limited funding means we have limited staffing Little opportunity for one-on-one support Less time for community outreach which has resulted

in slower growth than hoped for Fundraising efforts are growing but not as fast as we

would like – THANK YOU BIAWA FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

CHANGES Moving into new home in 2013

Larger space to accommodate more members – 100 sq. ft./member means 2500 sf for 25 members/day

Divided space allowing for multiple projects without noise, distraction, overstimulation

Daily participation fees Sliding scale based on income – most members pay

$3/day, some more and some as little as $1/day Small but important source of revenue – at current size

less than $500/month but at 25 members/day could be 3x and more than $15,000/yr

Development of Independent Living services Working to create IL evaluation & assessment service

through DVR Indep Living program – could be important pre-cursor to supported employment

Website: Website: seattlebrainworks.orgseattlebrainworks.org

(Designed by a member and staff, and maintained (Designed by a member and staff, and maintained by the member)by the member)