Factors Influencing Staff Perceptions of the Organizational Environment of Clubhouses

Environmental aspects of a treatment program can characterize both quality and experience for staff and clubhouse members alike, thus shaping the treatment environment. The current study examined the interplay of staff recovery attitudes and organizational characteristics on staff evaluations of the clubhouse environment. Two over-arching questions were explored in this study: (1) What is the association between staff characteristics, and perceptions of the clubhouse as an organization; and (2) to what extent is fidelity to the clubhouse model associated with staff attitudes and perceptions? Congruent with the generalist approach, staff came from a variety of mental health disciplines. Overall, clubhouse staff possessed optimistic attitudes about recovery and were positive about the organizational environment. There were only minor differences associated with role or background characteristics. There was evidence that employment in a Clubhouse with relatively higher fidelity to model was associated with more positive recovery attitudes to recovery and perception of the clubhouse as being more empowering, having more reasonable rules and greater staff continuity. However, characteristics of the clubhouse organization, auspice agency, and staff recovery attitudes were related to specific dimensions of program environment, and accounted for greater variability across clubhouse environments than fidelity alone.