Those associated with the Clubhouse model are well aware of its effectiveness in helping Members moving on with their lives, whether in employment, education, housing or accessing community supports. However, despite extensive observational studies, there has not been any documented evidence-based research to support this. That is, studies that compare the Clubhouse to other models under specific conditions. Fountain House is dedicated to sponsoring research that will demonstrate the effectiveness of the Clubhouse model in this way.
Evaluation and Research of Fountain House and the Clubhouse model are centered in the Research Unit. Fountain House is developing relationships with universities and research institutes to partner in evidence-based research of the Clubhouse model. One primary area of focus is the effectiveness of the Clubhouse in assisting Members to acquire and sustain competitive employment. By utilizing renowned talent, Fountain House will be able to participate in high quality research studies that will be published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and increase the exposure and credibility of the Clubhouse model.
The Research Unit is currently involved with several projects, in which Members and staff work side-by-side, to evaluate the Fountain House community. We have implemented a new web-based software program called A.W.A.R.D.S.TM (Affordable Wide Area Relational Database Systems), which allows us to securely collect a wide array of Members’ information, including data on employment, education, attendance, goal planning and progress notes as well as demographic information. A.W.A.R.D.S.TM will enable us to evaluate how Fountain House meets the needs of Members and to measure effectiveness in helping Members attain their goals.
