Recently, NPR featured a story on Fountain House Hollywood — one of the newest additions to a growing network of Clubhouses around the world. Like Gateway, Fountain House Hollywood offers a space where people living with serious mental illness can find structure, purpose, and belonging.
As the piece highlighted, the Clubhouse Model is built on a simple but powerful truth: community is therapy. At Clubhouses, members and staff work side by side to prepare meals, run meetings, produce newsletters, and support one another in meaningful ways. It’s not a treatment program in the traditional sense — it’s a place where people find stability, purpose, and connection.
Gateway’s Adoption of the Clubhouse Model
Here in Greenville, Gateway has embraced this model since our founding. Each day, our members participate in a work-ordered day, gaining skills, forming friendships, and experiencing a renewed sense of dignity. At Gateway, we don’t call people “patients” or “clients.” They are members, full participants in a community that values their talents and contributions.
Our services extend beyond the work-ordered day. From employment partnerships and housing support to education assistance and wellness activities, Gateway ensures members have access to the resources and community they need to thrive. This holistic approach reflects the very heart of the Clubhouse Model.
Gateway as a Training Hub
The NPR story also spoke to something we know well: the Clubhouse Model doesn’t just change lives — it’s spreading. In fact, Gateway has been a leader in this growth for decades.
Since 1988, Gateway has served as one of just 12 international training bases for the Clubhouse Model. More than 2,500 colleagues from 42 states and 16 countries have come to Greenville to learn how to bring the model to their own communities. Through immersive, hands-on training, they don’t just hear about the work-ordered day — they live it alongside our members.
This role makes Gateway both a local anchor and a global multiplier. Every new Cubhouse that launches with Gateway’s guidance represents more people finding recovery through community.
Why It Matters
The stories from Fountain House Hollywood — members like Mark Logan, Georgette Darby, and Carrington Wallace — echo the experiences we see every day at Gateway. Mental illness can isolate, but the Clubhouse Model restores connection. It turns surviving into thriving.
And as NPR’s piece reminds us, the need is urgent. Across the country and here in South Carolina, thousands live with serious mental illness. Gateway’s commitment is to ensure they aren’t left without community, purpose, and hope.
Because once you’re a member, you’re always a member. That’s the promise of the Clubhouse Model. That’s the promise of Gateway. Want to see it for yourself? Schedule a tour today!
