Work Ordered Day How Can Three Simple Words Have So Much Meaning? – It Gives Purpose

For over 50 years the Work-ordered Day has been a primary factor in the journey to recovery for thousands of people with a mental illness.

Historically the work of the Work-ordered Day has mainly involved focusing on the strengths, talents and abilities of members in running the daily operations of the clubhouse and substantial attention paid to the employment needs of members.

Clubhouse International realized that in order to further change the world for people with a mental illness we need to go further.

Clubhouses are now addressing additional areas of need such as wellness and health issues, assisting members to better their education, helping people into decent and affordable housing and learning about technology and utilizing all the internet has to offer.

Many clubhouses have been doing this with specialists and without the full engagement of members in the same way that we operate our kitchen unit, our advocacy efforts or other integrated work of the clubhouse.

Linda and Linda of Club Success Prepping Vegie Trays

As a clubhouse community, our challenge is to embrace these opportunities into the fabric of our days rather than relying on specialists who may work outside of the clubhouse or in some other fragmented capacity which inevitably denies member’s opportunities.

However, before we can truly blend areas such as wellness, supported education and housing into the work of the clubhouse we need to thoroughly understand the nuts and bolts of the Work-ordered Day.

The Work-ordered Day is flexible and there are many ways a member can be involved in the work of the clubhouse. Members can determine the work they want to be involved in and the people with whom they work.

Brian and Josephine transcribing members’ times from the sign-in sheets to the log.

The Work-ordered Day in a clubhouse provides an array of opportunities for members. This contrasts sharply with the more traditional day treatment models in which participants all attend the same class and have the same schedule although their needs are likely to be very different.

So what is it about the Work-ordered Day that makes it so different, so flexible and

creates so many opportunities? Well, let’s break down the components of the Work-ordered Day to analyze it further. Let’s break it down word by word – Work, Order and Day.

WORK

Why Work?

Work is a common denominator in every society.

Whether you are from Europe, the United Kingdom, USA, Asia, Australia or New Zealand we all have a culture where the desire to work is highly valued.

Usually when you meet someone one of the first questions you are asked is “What do you do?”

Whether we like it or not we often judged by our vocation and it is frequently a defining character of who we are.

The underlying belief of the Work-ordered Day is that regardless of a member’s disability every member has a contribution to make that will assist with achieving the work required of the clubhouse.

Brian, Anthony, and Gary washing the dishes from today’s lunch!

The belief of members being needed, expected and wanted portrays the message that we need you to be involved to get the work done.

This sense of belonging is very powerful and ultimately helps members to increase their self-esteem and confidence.

Standard 19 states “all work in the clubhouse is designed to help members regain self-worth, purpose, and confidence: it is not intended to be job-specific training”.

Why is the work not intended to be job-specific? One main reason is that several people with a mental illness have many vocational skills but experiencing a mental illness strips them of their self worth and purpose.

It is no use being a brain surgeon if one lacks the confidence to walk out of the house every day or to interact with people.

The main purpose of the Work-ordered Day is to start assisting members to firstly feel better about themselves and then one can consider where to from there.

Developing self-esteem, purpose, and confidence are the foundations that are essential in order for members to set additional goals such as employment or study.

What is the work of the clubhouse?

Well standard 16 highlights what the work of the clubhouse is.

“The work done in the clubhouse is exclusively the work generated by the clubhouse in the operation and enhancement of the clubhouse community.”

The work of a Work-ordered Day needs to be meaningful.

There needs to be a sense of urgency.

Ursula and Shad working together to publish the Daily News Splash

It needs to be real work that the clubhouse requires to accomplish not work created by staff to merely keep members busy to pass away the hours of the day.

If the work is not meaningful then members will rightfully not be interested.

They will easily be bored and not see the purpose of completing it.

One of the major challenges for staff is to create enough meaningful work for members to be involved in and engage members in identifying this work.

Standard 20 For over 50 years the Work-ordered Day has been a primary factor in the journey to recovery for thousands of people with a mental illness.

Historically the work of the Work-ordered Day has mainly involved focusing on the strengths, talents, and abilities of
members in running the daily operations of the clubhouse and substantial attention paid
to the employment needs of members.

Now we have realized For over 50 years the Work-ordered Day has been a primary factor in the journey to recovery for thousands of people with a mental illness.

Now we have realized that in order to further change the world for people with a mental illness we need to go further.

Clubhouses are now addressing additional areas of need such as wellness and health issues, assisting members to better their education, helping people into decent and affordable housing and learning about technology and utilizing all the internet has to offer.