First Clubhouse in Washington State
CPC has a unique history with the Clubhouse movement.  In 1982, CPC opened the first clubhouse program in Washington State and was initially trained by Fountain House. Due to funding changes in Washington's mental health system, CPC was forced to move away from the clubhouse model in the early 1990's and operated a drop-in program at the clubhouse site for over 15 years.

The chance to create a new clubhouse arose in 2005. In November of 2005, CPC was awarded start up grants from both the Washington State Division of Mental Health and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to convert the drop-in program into an ICCD Standards-based Clubhouse. CPC committed itself to building a vital Clubhouse program that supports individuals with severe and persistant mental illness. Wallingford House officially opened in September of 2006 after going through a process of remodeling the site, hiring a clubhouse director and staff, completing ICCD colleague training at Gateway House in South Carolina, and setting up the clubhouse with work units, a clubhouse orientation, and an employment program.

A few members of the original clubhouse are still served by CPC and have assisted in re-establishing the original clubhouse vision and perspective.

Remembrances from a Member of the Original Clubhouse
My name is Don and I was a member of the clubhouse before Wallingford House existed. As my wife, Barbara Houston, described it to me, “We all met in a garage.” At one point a psychiatrist was asked to join, Carlton Groat. He, Barbara and a few others acquired a house beside the Guild Theater in the University District. Later this house burned down.

It was then that the nameless club house moved to 4319 Stone Way N., where Community Psychiatric Clinic (CPC) and Wallingford House developed it into a center for the mentally ill, with staff, therapy and place to share friendships. These became the golden years of Wallingford House through a large grant from the Jimmy Carter Administration and First Lady Rosalyn Carter, who was head of the national mental health division. I remember how Wallingford House blossomed at that time. There were five units operating from morning to mid afternoon. They included a newsletter unit, maintenance, The Groom Room Thrift Shop and food service, which made lunch and dinner for a minimum cost. Funds began to dwindle over the years and Wallingford House diminished into a drop-in center.

 -- by Don Dias