STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For Staten Islanders struggling with mental health issues, finding a sense of community cannot only be life-changing, but sometimes life-saving.
That was the case for Michael Finley, a former patient at South Beach Psychiatric Center, who credits the support and services he receives from Venture House for saving his life.
“Five years ago, I was on the brink of suicide. I was in the darkest place I’ve ever been in. I should be dead, and I am not. And the reason why is because I found this place,” said Finley.
Michael Finley, a Staten Islander living with mental health challenges, credits Venture House for saving his life. (Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome)Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome
Venture House is a New York City-based organization that helps adults living with mental illness find a sense of purpose and belonging while connecting them to employment, education, housing, civic engagement and the arts.
Founded in Queens in 1988, the organization has since expanded across four of the city’s five boroughs, now holding locations in Brooklyn, the Bronx and here on Staten Island at 1442 Castleton Avenue in Port Richmond.
The organization operates under the internationally-recognized Clubhouse Model. This model offers members a collaborative, restorative environment to socialize and work voluntarily to contribute to the clubhouse community, building self-confidence, learning valuable skills and breaking down the isolation often associated with mental illness
“This is a place like none other. I have worked in the mental health field for 14 years, but nothing compares to the experience that I’ve had here,” said Lara Emmanuel, director of Venture House’s Staten Island Clubhouse.
“The model itself is like none other, to know that there is a space where anyone with a mental health diagnosis can walk into and they are accepted; they are respected, they are appreciated. They find a sense of purpose here where their voice and their opinion matters just like anyone else,” she added.
Lara Emmanuel is the director of Venture House’s Staten Island Clubhouse, which offers Staten Island residents living with mental illness a sense of community and belonging while connecting them with employment and housing opportunities. (Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome)Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome
Members assist staff with every aspect of day-to-day operations and organizational decision making, from cooking meals and cleaning the clubhouse, to program planning and interviewing job applicants.
“A joke we like to say is that ‘I work here, but I don’t work here,’ because I’m a member, I’m not employed by Venture House. But yet I do serve here, and I’m glad to do it because it really has changed me for the better,” said Finley. “I want others to feel that too. That we can do that for them if they are in that head space where they’re lonely, they have a lot of anxiety, depression… They can come here and we’re welcoming of anyone, and they can help themselves here as well as help others.”
In addition to the voluntary, unpaid work that members do around the clubhouse, the organization helps connect them with paid employment opportunities across the borough, which often times can be difficult to obtain for people struggling with mental health issues.
Venture House engages with local businesses and encourages them to consider hiring their members, while support staff helps prepare members for employment through resume building, mock job interviews and skills training.
“The mere fact that you have a diagnosis, any mental health diagnosis, is enough reason for people just not to want to hire you,” explained Emmanuel. “But just because members have a diagnosis does not mean that they do not have skills… so we’re hoping that more companies will really open up and allow our members to be able to work for them.”
Venture House offers Staten Island residents living with mental illness a sense of community and belonging while connecting them with employment and housing opportunities. (Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome)Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome
The organization also works to connect its members, many of whom are homeless, with housing throughout the borough. Some staffers will go out to speak with landlords, assuring them their members will make good tenants, while others bring members to their housing interviews and help them fill out necessary paperwork.
“I’m in supportive housing through Venture House. This organization has enhanced my life and I know that it can transform other lives too,” Finley said.
Venture House offers various recreational activities for members to enjoy, including a game room stocked with board games, a pool table, an air hockey table and an arcade machine in the clubhouse. The organization also plans outings, bringing its members to the movies, Broadway shows and there’s an upcoming trip scheduled to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J.
“A lot of times members tell us they would not have been able to do this on their own if not for us, because this is stuff that we pay for. So they might pay maybe a portion of it, but we cover most of it. And so that affords them the opportunity to be able to do things that they would not have been able to do on their own,” said Emmanuel.
Membership at Venture House is free for New York City residents ages 18 and older living with a mental health diagnosis like Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, PTSD and more. To learn more about membership at Venture House, visit the organization’s website at venturehouse.org/clubhouse-membership/.
“I think it’s important to let our Staten Island community know that there is a place for anyone with any mental illness. Whatever your diagnosis is, you’re not alone. Do not isolate, don’t feel alone. Come to a place where you can find your sense of purpose where you can work on your recovery journey,” Emmanuel said.
Venture House offers Staten Island residents living with mental illness a sense of community and belonging while connecting them with employment and housing opportunities. (Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome)Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome
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