A tentative timeline projects that  the Clubhouse will open its doors in March of 2011. You can help make it happen. Get involved!

The Oasis Support Group first learned about the Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation for persons with mental illness from member Bob Walson in about 2006. Oasis members visited clubhouses in Indiana occasionally over the next few years.

In January 2009, five members of the Oasis Support Group adopted the goal of establishing a certified Clubhouse for Elkhart County. They began talking about their vision and inviting others who shared this vision to join their "working group."

The working group signed an agreement with Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADNet), which is providing fiscal sponsorship in the start-up phase.

A public community forum was held April 22, 2009, at Maple City Chapel in Goshen to share information about the Clubhouse concept and invite wider participation in the project. Special thanks to Gloria Holub and Oaklawn for assistance with communications prior to the Community Forum. 

At the forum Andrew Wilson, executive director of Carriage House, a certified clubhouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana, described how clubhouses support community integration of people living with serious mental illness. Kathy Bayes, a Carriage House founder and executive director of the Fort Wayne Chapter of National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) told how Carriage House was started in 1997.

A team of six people from Elkhart County attended the New Clubhouse Development Training, May 7-8, 2009, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, sponsored by the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD) and hosted by Carriage House. The training team has produced an action plan to move the project forward. The action plan outlines next steps for establishing legal structures, fundraising, finding a location, and many other details.

Clubhouse supporters include many area organizations and individuals. Committees have been formed to work on Board Development, Communications, and Finances. The Steering Committee provides oversight and meets periodically with ICCD mentors Andy Wilson and Kathy Bayes.

A working group has been meeting monthly on first Tuesdays since June of 2009. Committees are working on board development, communications, finances and selection of a location. Articles of incorporation were filed Oct 5, 2009. Bylaws have been drafted. Clubhouse representatives welcome speaking invitations to church and community groups to spread the word about our project.

We have committed ourselves to creating a multicultural community. To that end we are actively seeking potential board members from the Latino and African American communities in Elkhart County.

Once we have appointed a board of directors reflective of the diversity within the wider community, we will apply for 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. Having obtained our own independent charitable status, we will be able to begin concerted efforts at raising funds. The projected timeline in our case statement projects opening our doors in March of 2011.