In early 1996, a young man with schizophrenia was walking the streets of Fort Wayne. He needed treatment for his illness. He was stopped twice by police officers who didn’t know how to help him. Later that evening, he was hit by a car and died. This event spurred an active and vocal group of family members from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Fort Wayne to re-evaluate the services being provided to their loved ones.
In August of that year Kathy Bayes, then president of NAMI – Fort Wayne, attended a conference and heard about an unusual and effective model of treatment for adults with serious mental illness. It was called the Clubhouse Model. Kathy returned to Fort Wayne inspired.
A committee was formed to investigate the possibilities of developing a certified Clubhouse in Fort Wayne. This committee traveled around the country looking at other Clubhouses and in late 1996 partnered with Park Center to establish the Carriage House.
In 1997, the committee incorporated the fledgling program under the business name Fort Wayne Clubhouse, Inc. and acquired the ‘old Arata Mansion’ on Lake Avenue. An executive director was hired after an extensive international search. The Carriage House officially opened its doors for business in October of 1998 with this singular mission: to assist people in their recovery from mental illness and reintegration into the community.
Since that time, we have grown by about 30% every year. From the modest beginning of 12 members, we now have a total membership approaching 900 and have assisted hundreds of people return to work and school in the community.
Some more recent historical highlights include:
February 2001: The Carriage House receives its first three-year certification from the International Center for Clubhouse Development (the highest level of certification awarded).
August 2002: The Carriage House establishes the Indiana Clubhouse Coalition to assist other clubhouse-like programs in the state. There are 13 signatories.
September 2004: The Carriage House hosts the 6th Bi-Annual Mid-States Regional Clubhouse Conference. There are over 250 attendees from more than 13 states.
June 2006: The Carriage House opens ‘Chad’s Guesthouse and Teaching Center’ to provide training and consultation to programs interested in providing Clubhouse Model services in the region.
February 2008: The Carriage House receives its third consecutive three-year certification, has nearly 900 members, and has assisted more than 250 people go back to work, and boasts four ‘faculty’ members of the International Center for Clubhouse Development.
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