Lighthouse

Lighthouse - Program Overview:

Lighthouse provides adults who have been socially and vocationally disabled by mental illness the opportunity to gain confidence and self-esteem, learn vocational skills, and obtain employment. The "Clubhouse" model, which was developed over a half century ago, provides members with a supportive environment where they can get assistance with transitioning into the workplace or back into school as well as increasing their participation in the community. Membership is voluntary and services are designed to meet individual needs.

Members make the club come alive by working with staff to operate the clubhouse, ensure that all feel wanted, and that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the community through meaningful work. Lighthouse provides several specialized units (see below) that members use to manage the club's activities as well as to learn and master critical vocational skills. This approach ensures cooperation, inclusion, and shared responsibility. It also allows each member to be productive despite his or her disability.

Lighthouse is designed to help members transfer the skills and capabilities learned at the clubhouse to real jobs in the community. Each member receives a comprehensive vocational assessment that identifies training and job placement priorities as well as preferences. Members are also provided with career counseling, interview skills training, resume writing, and job search assistance as needed.

Once a member is placed in a Transitional or Competitive Employment Job, clubhouse staff continues to provide ongoing support for work related and personal issues. Transitional Employment Jobs are generally structured to be temporary. The goal, in most cases, is to allow the member to move onto Independent Employment after a specified period. Members seeking Competitive Employment Jobs are more experienced and have worked in a Transitional Employment position.

Lighthouse - Program Highlights:

• Established in 1985
• Serving Greater Springfield
• Providing a restorative environment to over 300 members
• Offering specialized units including: business and employment, education, hospitality, and housing/homeless
• Working in partnership with area employers to meet their business needs while opening up employment opportunities for its program members

Peer Support in AfterCare Project:

MBHP-Lighthouse has partnered with the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership since 2002 to offer a service entitled "Peer Support in Aftercare". This project began as a pilot in Central Massachusetts with the Genesis Clubhouse. MBHP quickly recognized the value of the project and made a decision to duplicate the service in Western Massachusetts, selecting Lighthouse as the provider. The service is based upon a model of peer to peer support and assistance. Teams of Lighthouse staff and trained Lighthouse members visit the inpatient psychiatric units at Baystate Medical Center and Providence Hospital to aid MBHP-insured clients with their discharge planning, coordination and follow-up. This is a voluntary program offered to those patients receiving MBHP insurance. If the person signs onto the program, Lighthouse staff and members begin working with them while they are in the hospital and continue providing support and assistance for up to 90 days. The goals of the program are to assist patients with aftercare appointments, connection to community resources and ultimately to increase community tenure (reduce hospitalization time). Since its inception, the peer support in aftercare program has worked with over 200 patients, helping to connect them to needed medical, psychiatric and community services, offering support and assistance at a particularly difficult time in their lives. Over 45 Lighthouse members have been trained to provide peer support to this population and have gained immeasurable confidence by being able to reach out to those in need, offering valuable resources and time.

Contact Information:

Lighthouse
1401 State Street
Springfield, MA 01109
Phone: (413) 736-8974
Fax: (413) 785-5030
Email: Info-Lighthouse@hru.org

Read the Lighthouse Brochure (.pdf)