Bigger clubhouse gives more people with mental illness chance to be ‘a regular person’
Club Nova is a safety net for Rousbeh Zibaie, providing a community of friends who support him and understand the challenges of living with mental illness.
Now 44, Zibaie was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was a 20-year-old student at N.C. State University in Raleigh. That took him to UNC’s STEP Clinic and, about 19 years ago, to Club Nova, a nonprofit Clubhouse Model program in downtown Carrboro.
“It’s really tough to talk about it,” Zibaie said about his past. “I’m in the future now, and everybody’s helping me. I’m a totally different person.”
At Club Nova, the Chapel Hill resident writes poetry for a literary journal and articles for a monthly newsletter. He leads visitors on clubhouse tours, works in the culinary unit and pitches in where he can make a difference for his community.
Club Nova gives his life meaning and connection, Zibaie said. The next step is landing a part-time job, and maybe even going back to college, he said.
“I have schizophrenia, but that’s not what defines me, because I’m way past that now,” Zibaie said. “I’m a regular person.”
New spaces for work and play
Club Nova’s members helped plan the new 9,125-square-foot clubhouse, which opened Oct. 30 after a decade of planning and fundraising, said Karen Kincaid Dunn, chief executive officer.
“The clubhouse is not something where I sit up in some office and create a plan,” she said. “Part of the international standards is that members are involved in all the decisions that affect the future of Club Nova. We take that standard to heart.”
The $5 million building replaced a millhouse purchased in 1991 and a two-story brick building that housed the Club Nova Thrift Shop from 2002 to 2020.
They’re still raising money to furnish the new building’s first floor and haven’t decided how to use a third-floor mezzanine overlooking the dining room. The commercial kitchen, where members help prepare the food, serves 13 meals a week at a cost of $1.50 each.
For now, most activities — employment and education, housing and health care, weekly social event planning, and administrative tasks — are located on the second floor. The “Stargazer” terrace outside the dining room is a relaxing space with a view of downtown.
Art and pottery displays around the building memorialize past members.
Zibaie’s favorite spot is the garden patio, where members and staff grow flowers and seasonal herbs and vegetables for use in the kitchen. The old clubhouse’s front door serves as a repurposed garden station and sink.
There’s ample room to grow their programs and serve more people, Dunn said.
“We’re not used to having all this space,” she said.
Support, structure and community
There are over 350 Clubhouses worldwide that serve people with serious mental illness and are accredited by Clubhouse International. Eight are in North Carolina, including Club Nova, Threshold in Durham and Club Horizon in Raleigh.
Club Nova has over 100 members, ranging from 18 to over 90 years old. They are planning programs now that will appeal to a younger generation, while continuing to serve existing members as they grow older, Dunn said.
Club Nova gets more than half of its revenues from Medicaid and state funding, with donations and annual grants from Orange County, Carrboro and Chapel Hill governments covering the rest.
The program follows a voluntary “work-ordered day” that creates structure and inclusion. Staff and members start the day with a review of Clubhouse standards and go over the work that needs to be done.
“Staff is here to facilitate the members, to offer guidance when needed, but often some of the best guidance can come from fellow members, because they’re the people who know what you’re going through,” staff member Rose Duvall-Monan said.
Housing and health care are also key pieces, Dunn said. At least a third of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 reported living with a severe mental illness, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and both homelessness and mental illness can significantly shorten a person’s life expectancy.
Club Nova staff are now working to develop more connections with doctors and providers, to help patients being discharged from the hospital, said M. Ren-Wen Huang, the associate director of programs. That’s especially important as the state works to reduce the number of people in 24-hour facilities, Dunn said.
“Especially for members who don’t have other natural supports, we are often the first people to notice that something may be going on with somebody,” Huang said. “Then we’re poised to connect people with their providers or make a call or remind somebody (to take) their meds.”
Quick facts about Club Nova
▪ Club Nova was founded in 1987 in partnership with the Orange-Person-Chatham Area Authority. The OPC Foundation bought 103 W. Main St. for the organization in 1991.
▪ 45 members can be found on an average day at Club Nova, and 112 people spend a total of 44,000 hours a year participating in programs and activities, according to the website.
▪ Only 20% of people living with mental illness are employed in the United States. Roughly 50% of Club Nova members find employment in their first year with the program.
▪ Social events and activities combat isolation, expanding a member’s social network and confidence around people.
▪ Transportation is available for work, school or to the clubhouse and back home. Club Nova is now hiring two part-time van drivers.
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This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Bigger clubhouse gives more people with mental illness chance to be ‘a regular person’."
