Clinical Counselors, Mental Health Professionals, and Peer Support Specialists, provide psychological and social interventions improving the quality of life for all members based on individual needs. Discussions and activities promote the learning, development, and practice of: self-care, life skills, interpersonal skills, peer support, life management, self-advocacy, and recovery.

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Bridges Clubhouse utilizes the following life skills groups to provide opportunities for learning/practicing independent living skills: 

• Canteen 

• Kitchen 

• Home-Care

• Health and Wellness/Bridges 101

• Computer 

• Media Arts 

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Canteen: 

allows members to enhance independent living skills related to customer service needed for working a retail/restaurant industry.  Members learn how to manage money and run a cash register; they learn to organize by stocking and packaging snacks/preparing food, making coffee, displaying food and beverage items, and taking inventory; they also learn how to provide good customer service by taking and fulfilling orders.  The communication and social skills learned and applied during the Canteen skills group benefit members as they increase interaction with others in their communities.

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Kitchen: 

enables members to learn and practice living skills such as food prep, cooking, plating, serving, and cleaning of materials and the kitchen area.  This allows members to become more independent in their daily lives by teaching them to cook for themselves.  Members also learn proper food safety and how to begin healthier ways of eating.

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Home Care: 

Focuses on educational and skills-building activities aimed at enhancing independent living potential. Topics include basic automotive maintenance, home safety/community safety (for example situational awareness and basic personal safety tips), maintaining a clean and healthy personal space, and personal hygiene and wellness. Mastery of these skills promotes self-empowerment in a person’s recovery. Members work together to practice/learn sanitation and prevocational skills by completing cleaning-related tasks in the building. 

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Health and Wellness/Bridges 101:

serves as an introductory group, acclimating new members to the structure of the program and offers psychoeducational on their particular diagnosis, symptoms, and medication management. Members have the opportunity to learn more about their mental illness and physical health diagnoses, learn about the impact of exercise/nutrition on physical/mental health, and learn about coping skills. 

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Computer Technology:

to teach members how to perform basic functions of the computer and internet.  Some skills include: using the computer, typing, internet navigation, e-mail and responsible use of Social Media.  We feel that learning these skills, along with many others, is important to the fast-moving and technology-driven pace of today’s society.  The mental health population that we serve is often getting left behind when it comes to this area of expertise without reliable access to the technology.  We are striving to provide both access and knowledge in an effort to assist our members in achieving their full potential.

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Media Arts: 

members work together to create the Clubhouse Report and the Bridges Clubhouse News Show that teaches social/interpersonal skills, teamwork skills, prevocational skills, time-management, conflict management/problem-solving skills and task completion skills. Members have the opportunity to practice coping skills such as mindfulness, learn about community events, and manage social media accounts which allow the opportunity to participate in recovery-related activities that teach empowerment. 

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All of the groups include opportunities to learn/practice the following skills in their life skills groups: 

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Self-Care: focuses on daily living and life skills with emphasis on over all self-care, including:

care of the body (exercising, healthy eating, relaxing, etc.) 

care of the mind (processing feelings, thinking things through, developing spiritual connections, learning coping skills, etc.) and

care of our relationship (with ourselves, with family, with friends, with significant others, etc.), as well as maintaining a healthy support network essential for all individuals, including those with mental illness.

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Mindfulness:

assists members in learning about guided meditation, self-awareness, and other skills used to calm the body and mind.

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Creative Coping Skills:

uses creative strategies in the learning and development of methods that members may use to deal with the stresses and challenges of day to day life. Counselors do this in a way that helps support success in recovery while promoting personal growth.

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Psychoeducation:

focuses on building awareness of mental illness and related issues, as well as learning skills such as symptom management, critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and self-advocacy.  These skills are promoted through activities such as large group discussion, role play, and numerous activities to increase members’ ability to actively and effectively participate in and make decisions about their mental and medical health care.

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Budgeting and Time- Management: 

promotes the understanding and a working knowledge of the financial and organizational planning of independent living, such as creating and following a budget, managing a bank account/credit card, prioritizing needs vs. wants, and discussing healthcare and benefits systems. These skills allow persons with mental illness to make more informed decisions, take a more active role in managing their money, and access needed care while reducing dependence on others to manage their resources.

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Medication Management: 

members learn about their prescribed medications, learn about the importance of taking medications as prescribed, learn about side effects and how to manage them, and learn about the impact medications have on recovery. 

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Cognitive Skills: 

members get the opportunity to practice critical thinking and concentration skills by engaging in activities that promote concentration, focus, and critical thinking skills. 

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Social Skills: 

members get the opportunity to practice social skills both in life skills groups and during our larger group settings. Members are able to contribute to discussions independently and with prompting from staff to encourage the practice of social skills. Members learn about active listening skills, social skills, verbal/non-verbal body language, learn topics to use in conversation, and learn/practice making eye contact. Staff often provides social skills scavenger hunts to encourage members to interact with their peers which gives them the opportunity to learn more and develop a social support network. We believe that social support is a necessary component of recovery. 

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