DURHAM, N.C. — Richard Hudson has been a member of Threshold Clubhouse for three years. He says that it’s become an indispensable part of keeping his schizophrenia at bay. Hudson was diagnosed in 1977 while he was serving in the Navy. After being discharged with no medication or doctor’s referrals, he says he struggled to find a daily routine that would help him cope with the illness. However, when he discovered the clubhouse model, first at Carrboro’s Club Nova and later at Threshold, he immediately noticed an increase in his self-esteem and level of motivation.

Today he serves on Thresholds board of directors. His biggest concern is the clubhouse’s potential loss of Medicaid funding. Clubhouses already command some of the lowest reimbursement rates of any mental health service. He recently participated in an overseas trip to Finland, where he met with other clubhouse members and administrators to discuss methods of attracting more temporary work arrangements for members, which could make Threshold slightly less vulnerable to shifts in Medicaid funding. To do this, Hudson says Threshold needs to take aim at the persistent stigmatization of mental patients, who are often written off by potential employers as unreliable or, worse yet, dangerous and violent.

“We need to change and reach out to the community. But, it’s got to be a mutual thing. We can’t just hold our hand out and say won’t you please help us. We’ve got to turn around and say, how can we help you?”