Mayor Eric Adams’ $30 million plan to expand services for mentally ill New Yorkers is finally complete — with 13 large “clubhouses” now operating across the five boroughs, he announced Tuesday.
Adams spearheaded the state-and city-funded initiative beginning in 2023 to develop the large centers serving 300 or more New Yorkers each, according to the mayor’s office.
“Not feeling like you’re part of a community, not feeling like you’re part of a group, it actually has an impact on your physical health,” Adams said speaking at a press conference at one of the centers, Venture House in The Bronx. “That’s why it’s so important to have places like these clubhouses.”
Six of the clubhouses were already operating and used the funding to grow their capacity, while the other seven are brand-new. The last of those, Phoenix House, opened in July in Manhattan, City Hall officials said.
With the changes, enrollment at city clubhouses will double to 6,600 members by 2027, the officials said.
The centers are operated by nonprofits and offer health, social and job resources to members with varying degrees of psychological troubles.
Members also have jobs and responsibilities at the clubhouses, such as giving tours, serving food, cleaning and helping out at the reception area.
Manhattan now has four clubhouses; Brooklyn and The Bronx have three each; Queens has two; and Staten Island has one.
The city health department also plans to gather and analyze more data on members, according to Health Commissioner Michelle Morse.
“Part of our goal is actually to really improve the data and demonstrate the outcomes,” Morse said.
City officials celebrated the initiative as part of Adams’ “End the Culture of Anything Goes” campaign, which highlights his administration’s work on mental health.
Hizzoner took the podium to cheers from Venture House members, who will now be able to use the brand new Bronx clubhouse because of the investment, according to City Hall.
“I am at home here,” Adams said, crying at times during his address.
The Adams administration nearly doubled previous investments in mental health clubhouses, but the focus on larger locations, edged out nine smaller clubhouses that were no longer eligible to apply for Department of Health contracts because of new capacity requirements.
Six of the smaller clubhouses have been able to maintain operations because the City Council carved out $5 million in funding over the last two annual budgets.
“We’ve been working with city council, who’s been supporting some of the additional clubhouses,” Morse said.
“We’re very thankful, of course, that there are lots of clubhouses across the city.”
