Often times when people think of mental health facilities, their minds automatically jump to psychiatric hospitals. Gateway House, the premier mental health resource for the Greenville community, is unique. This local non-profit follows the proven Clubhouse Model of rehabilitation; the basis of this model being that people living with mental illness can lead productive, happy lives. Since 1984, Gateway House has been providing adults with mental illness opportunities to work, continue their education, live independently, and restore the dignity in their lives that may have been lost due to their illness. Gateway House continues to help those living with mental illness to lead productive lives in the community, and out of the hospital. To better understand what they do let’s meet Gateway House Founding Executive Director, Phil Emory, as he explains more about the program.
360: What has been your involvement with Gateway House?
Phil: I’ve been involved with Gateway House from the very beginning. I was hired in April of 1984 by the Board of Directors to start Gateway House, so I’ve been involved for almost 33 years, from starting the program to maintaining the program here on Rutherford Street.
360: What makes Gateway House stand out as a mental health resource in our Greenville community?
Phil: Gateway House is the only accredited Clubhouse program in South Carolina, and we take a different approach; we don’t focus on treating mental illness, but instead we help people with serious mental illness to be able to live as independently and productively in the community as possible. We provide housing, employment, and education opportunities. Helping to improve the quality of life for people living with mental illness is our primary mission. Gateway House is a training base for the Clubhouse Model as well, which means people from all over the world travel to Greenville to learn how to have a program like ours in their own community. We’ve trained over 2000 colleagues from 40 different states and 17 different countries on how to run a Clubhouse.
360: Do you have a favorite memory of Gateway House?
Phil: Gateway House started in one room of the Earle Street Baptist Church in 1984, so probably one of my favorite memories is when we moved from that one room in the church where we started to our current Clubhouse on Rutherford Street. That was a big day for us. We had a grand opening and it was a lot of fun.
360: What’s the next big thing for Gateway House?
Phil: We’re beginning a capital campaign to raise funds to build a larger Clubhouse facility across the street from our existing Clubhouse. Presently we have a 10,000 sq. foot Clubhouse, and we’ll be building a 20,000 sq. foot Clubhouse. That will enable us to double the number of people that we’re able to serve every day.
360: Thanks, Phil! We appreciate everything you and Gateway House have done for individuals in Greenville.
To find out more about Gateway House and how you can get involved by sharing your time, talents, or resources, click here. You can also follow Gateway on Twitter @gateway_inc and Instagram @gatewaysc.
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