Venture House

Venture House is a non-profit organization located in Queens, New York. Since 1988 Venture House has been dedicated to providing a range of high quality services to adults diagnosed with mental illness to live and work successfully in the community, independently and with dignity. Venture House has one unifying vision: to enable individuals diagnosed with mental illness to live meaningful and productive lives in the community. We believe that member participants are entitled to the same rights as all people. Those rights include access to: work, relationships, sustained income, housing, medical care, and education. The Clubhouse Model has developed over the past 60 years to become a community center where members share responsibilities to keep the Clubhouse functioning and to meet the members' life goals. Clubhouses are programs where members (program participants) work side-by-side with staff on the work of the organization. Tasks include: clerical work, data entry, food service, cleaning, bookkeeping, research and a great deal more. Clubhouse supports are comprehensive - working to ensure that members have access to housing, educational advancement, quality healthcare, government benefits, and job opportunities. Venture House succeeds because members and staff are partners in operating Venture House and members are supported in directing their own life plan.