Early in January we met with Bev Thompson, Program Director of Fitzroy Centre in Charlottetown to talk about the education opportunities offered at the Centre. Fitzroy Centre is a project of the Canadian Mental Health Association, a member of the Alliance.

The Fitzroy Centre operates using the Clubhouse model. This model originated in New York in 1949 and today it is found in 39 countries around the world. It was developed for the psychiatric rehabilitation of mentally ill people. Fitzroy Centre provides an environment so people who have experienced mental health problems can be helped to achieve or regain confidence and skills which they need to lead productive and socially satisfying lives. The motto of the Clubhouse is: A place to come; a place to belong; a place to feel wanted and needed and a place to return.

How did you become involved in this work?
My background is in nursing specializing in psychiatry. I have worked at Hillsborough Hospital, McGill Centre and Unit 9. In the 1980s when the CMHA decided to develop the Clubhouse program I was on the volunteer committee that set up the clubhouse program here. I began working at this job 11 years ago.

When I started we had about 100 clubhouse members and seventeen apartments for our members. We had one staff person working in the Employment Unit. Now we have 350 members and about fifty rental units. Along with the Housing and Employment Units, we have an Education Unit and a Member Services Unit that offers Pre-vocational training.

Could you tell us about the Education Unit?
When the education unit started we had one volunteer in adult literacy from the Laubach Literacy Council and there was a huge demand from members who wanted to improve their reading. Many of our members have had interrupted schooling due to their illness. They may have memory retention difficulties and need help to learn over again. Getting back to school isn’t easy for anyone.

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