We are not just starting a program. We are building a community.
The Westchester Clubhouse for the Arts operates as an innovative arts clubhouse for people with disabilites. We are focused on psychosocial rehabilitation, community, creativity and culture. Services for specialized supports, accommodations, and programs are designed to help individuals with physical, mental, or cognitive disabilities achieve independence, equality, and inclusion
This effort is led by members themselves, people who know firsthand that recovery does not happen in isolation. Like the original group known as We Are Not Alone, whose shared commitment gave rise to Fountain House, we are carrying forward the most essential truth of the Clubhouse model: when people are needed, valued, and connected, lives change.
What we are building in Westchester is not a service for people, but a community of people, one grounded in dignity, contribution, and belonging. It is a proven, human-centered approach that strengthens individuals, families, and the broader system.
At its core, this work is simple: creating a place where a person can say and know, I am not alone.
We have this (see photos) property to renovate with multiple houses on the land. And a second property (see map) property to build from scratch. All in all this is over 100 acres in property being designated for people with special needs and severe mental illness.
WCH is a Clubhouse for people with special needs and disabilities. We have a major lean onto the arts. Our campus like site will include Ceramics, Woodshops, Painting and Drawing studios, Sculpture, Print making, Photography, Sound studios and 3D printing.
We hold out a special place in our heart for a Glass Blowing studio. Right now were working with some existing facilities to help orchestrate this.
While we have all the other UNITS of the Standard Clubhouse Model (https://www.clubhouse-intl.org/documents/standards_2016_eng.pdf)
Such as Culinary, the Welcome Center, Home and Garden, Research, Education and Employment, Silver Center, Communications & Wellness. We also nurture artisan and artistic talent.
The Offset of a Clubhouse in someone's life:
There is a 21% less likelihood that Clubhouse members will re-enter the hospital. referred to as "In Patient", at 1500$ a day minimum, for on average 30 days that is saving social security 30,000$. Followed up by PHP (partial hospitalization program) at 1,000$ a day for 3-8 weeks, Continued in an IOP (intensive out patient) like charlie health for 1900 a day for 13 weeks.
"Lets go outside for a picnic"
And watch their eyes light up! Going outside for a picnic is just the beginning if there was live music and or a nighttime outdoor film screening. What is missing from most urban centered clubhouses is nature, some fresh air. Nature heals, inspires and helps build community. That is why our clubhouse is situated one 2-3 sites, a 42 acre site where we build to suit and a 130 acre site where we renovate existing structures.. the third site is our headquarters hosted by the Masonic Lodge.
Lets do more together.
Working with the community and professionals:
We work closely with the elected officials from OMH, and from the township. We are working with experts at Fountain House, and Clubhouse International.
The first of its kind:
We already exist as the first if its kind online web hosted club house. Offering classes and working as a community towards the physical location. We are the first member driven clubhouse initiative since WANA (we are not alone) whom founded the first clubhouse, Fountain House, the founder of clubhouse international now leading to there being 377 locations. We are the first arts focused, let alone arts heavy
We are a Fountain House member driven initiative, the first of its kind since Fountain House itself was founded: https://fountainhouse.org/
This is the Patient, Member & Artists statement:
We are a collective of Artists, Artisans and Fountain House members. Led by several people including Kiko, Craig, Kelila, Liza and Dom. We live in Westchester, and we live with serious mental illness (SMI).
Like so many others, we have known isolation, hospitalizations, and the feeling of being cut off from the world we want to be part of. What changed our lives was finding community, a place where we were not treated as problems to be managed, but as people who matter.
Now we are working to build that same kind of place here in Westchester. Building a clubhouse for people with Special Needs.
A Clubhouse is a proven, international model of mental health recovery built on one simple idea. When people are needed, valued, and connected, recovery becomes possible. Members work side by side, build relationships, and create real lives through purpose, dignity, and belonging.
This model began in New York City more than 70 years ago, when a small group of people living with mental illness came together and called themselves We Are Not Alone. They created a place where no one had to recover by themselves. That community became Fountain House, and it sparked a global movement that today supports tens of thousands of people through Clubhouses around the world.
We are carrying that same spirit forward in Westchester.
What We Are Raising Funds For
This campaign is raising the seed funding needed to take the first real steps toward opening a Clubhouse here, including:
• Organizing our founding group of members
• Receiving expert guidance and technical assistance
• Building community partnerships
• Forming a nonprofit organization
• Preparing to seek county, state, and foundation support
These early dollars are what turn hope into something real. They allow us to move from an idea to a living, breathing community.
Why This Matters
Right now, too many people in our county are cycling through hospitals, living in isolation, or stuck without meaningful support. A Clubhouse changes that. It creates a place where people can go every day, be known, be needed, and build a future alongside others who understand.
When you give to this campaign, you are not just donating to a project. You are helping create a place where someone who feels alone can find people. Where someone leaving the hospital can find purpose. Where recovery is not something you do by yourself, but something you do together.
We are building this not only for ourselves, but for the people we have not yet met. For families looking for stability. For Westchester to have a stronger, more human mental health system.
Thank you for believing in us.
Thank you for helping us make room.
Together, we are not alone.
● Adults: An average of 10.8% of adults in the region experienced poor mental health for 14 or more days in a month, 100,800 people. This rate was lower than the New York state average of 11.1%.
● Adolescents: There was a 32% increase in the incidence of mental health issues and a 41% increase in costs among adolescents in Westchester County.
● Statewide context: The New York State Comptroller's office reported that 21.1% of adults statewide struggled with mental illness in 2021-2022, and 5.1% had a severe mental illness.
● National context: On a national level, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 22.8% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2021, and 5.5% experienced serious mental illness.
● Other factors: Socioeconomic factors can impact mental health, as evidenced by the higher rates of mental health-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits in lower-income areas compared to higher-income areas in other New York regions.
Serious mental illness (SMI) affects more than 4% of the global adult population. Approximately 60 million people live with bipolar disorder, 21 million people live with schizophrenia, and 300 million people live with depression. People living with SMI die 10-20 years earlier than the general population. They face disproportionate impacts due to stigma, discrimination, and lack of understanding. For too long, we have not had a person-centered approach for people living with SMI in their own recovery, nor have we embraced the promise of community-based supports – but it’s time to change.
Below you will find information on our training and development opportunities.
Partners/Potential Partner: