Welcome to Cirrus House

Cirrus House is a club for people who experience serious mental illness. The club provides a chance for members to participate in the life and work of the larger community community by using existing skills and by learning new skills. Members feel valued and accepted in an environment of work, productivity and mutual support.

The first clubhouse, Fountain House, was formed in New York City in 1948. Cirrus House first opened in 1984 and is a certified member of the International Center for Clubhouse Development.

History

Cirrus House was begun in June of 1984 as an intentional act of members and staff to transition from a Day Treatment Program within Panhandle Mental Health Center to a Fountain House Modeled Clubhouse. This was accomplished by collaborative planning, using only the clubhouse article published in 1982 in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal "The Fountain House Model of Psychiatric Rehabilitation," by Beard, Propst, and Malamud. Without ever having seen a clubhouse, we established the basic value system and processes of a clubhouse, while still located at PMHC. Our name was proposed by one of the Charter Members, who stated that Cirrus is the highest flying cloud." In September, 1984 we were visited by Rudyard Propst, who congratulated us on our efforts. In October and November of that year, two staff and one member attended three week clubhouse training at Fountain House. Three of the four original staff, and many of the 17 Charter Members of Cirrus House are still with the organization.

Also in June 1984, with the support of the Mental Health Center, a 501c3 non-profit corporation was formed with the purpose of developing housing for people with mental illness and to promote additional support services as well. This corporation, known as "HAHSI" was managed in concert with the development of the clubhouse, with the clubhouse Director, Doug Beesley, serving as Executive Vice President to manage the development of project.

On December 23, 1986, Cirrus House members and staff moved into the former Townhouse Hotel in downtown Scottsbluff, where we are located to this day. On January 1, 1996, Cirrus House officially began to operate as an independent non-profit corporation. Cirrus House is supported by City, County and Federal funds and seeks donation and grants utilizing our 501c3 non-profit status.