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Venture House and the New York City Clubhouse Coalition organized the 12th Annual Clubhouse Conference held May 30th at York College. It was designed to encourage members to become more independent. Participating organizations included Fountain House and Project Hope. Venture House Executive Director David Lehman welcomed everyone and said more clubhouses participated this year than last year and thanked conference sponsors: New York Department of Mental Health and Janssen Pharmaceutica.

Peter Monterrero, president of Venture House's Board of Directors and former head of its employment unit, introduced Bronx Borough President and mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer, saying Ferrer's "fourteen-year tenure carried themes of partnership and community empowerment, something clubhouses know a lot about."

Ferrer became involved with the mentally ill when he was chairman of the City Council's Health Department over 15 years ago. In 1954, the Community Mental Health Act passed. "The way we were treating those New Yorkers who were mentally ill was all wrong. We've got to break (large mental institutions) and bring (the mentally ill) back to their communities in supportive environments, next to their families and (into) a world of work and self reliance," said Ferrer. He praised clubhouses for keeping the Community Mental Health Act alive, by encouraging members to regain self-sufficiency through work, independent living and by knowing their rights.

Ferrer presented an award to the law firm, Simpson, Thatcher and Bartlett for providing Venture House members with opportunities to reenter the work force through transitional and independent employment. Lehman introduced a Venture House member and former employee of Simpson, Thatcher and Bartlett who now works at Concerned Citizens for Creedmore, Leon Marquis who said, "I started at an enclave at K-Mart, where I worked alongside Venture House staff. They were always there with us. Then I went to Simpson, where you work hard and stay busy."

Jody Silver, former Venture House employee and co-president of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), which promotes recovery and rights for peer-run facilities, presented advocacy news. NYAPRS is lobbying for a monetary increase for community mental health agencies, including clubhouses. According to Silver, the increase, which would come from hospital closures will hopefully retain qualified staff as well as create and expand innovative rehabilitation programs such as clubhouses. Silver noted that it's important to keep lobbying our representatives because community reinvestment as we know it today will end September 30th. She mentioned the Medicaid Buy-In, which would enable those with psychiatric disabilities and substance abuse problems to reenter the workforce without fear of losing their Medicaid coverage.

These themes of partnership and independence were reflected in the equal participation of members and staff in the following workshops: Transitional Employment and Beyond; Education in the Clubhouse; Relationships in the Work Ordered Day; Developing Inclusive Member Leadership; Consensus Building; Diversity and Difference; Member and Staff Relationships; Stigma within the Clubhouse; Behavior in the Clubhouse and Leisure and Celebration during the weekend and evening program.

In his speech that morning, Mr. Ferrer had said that if anyone's future should be certain, it is the mentally ill's, who have been living in the shadows for far too long. The 12th Annual Clubhouse Conference, which emphasized community-based housing, work and advocacy, helps to bring consumers into independence's light.