Our Supportive Work Environment
Virginia’s 1st Clubhouse
The Mill House
The Mill House, located in Richmond and serving Metro Richmond was Virginia’s first Clubhouse Model Program for survivors of brain injury. The Mill House has served as an example for the other five Clubhouses open in Virginia today and enjoys consulting with Clubhouses around the world.
The Denbigh House
The Denbigh House in Newport News, serving the Virginia Peninsula, was the second clubhouse we opened in Virginia in 2005. Modeled after the Mill House program, The Denbigh House employs the leading professionals on brain injury on the Peninsula.
The Clubhouse model functions off of a work unit system. Through the structure of the work ordered day and participation in the work units, participants regain the work skills and behaviors necessary to return to work and independent living.
Those units may include:
- Communications Unit
- Advocacy Unit
- Kitchen Unit
- Maintenance Unit
Membership at a Clubhouse offers survivors the opportunity to:
- Participate in a structured work-ordered day
- Develop Independent Living Skills
- Identify and coordinate short and long term goals through our service planning process
- Train and participate in self and community advocacy
- Case management services
- Monthly social and recreational programs
- A supportive network of professionals and peers
Why Join Our Clubhouse?
Members join a Clubhouse for a variety of reasons and to accomplish a variety of individualized goals. Some members join the Clubhouse to obtain support to return to paid employment after their brain injury. Other individuals attend to have access to a supportive community of peers or to become more active and productive following their brain injury. The Clubhouse also serves as a great respite resource for families and caregivers, providing their loved one with meaningful daily productive activity.
In addition to the daily Clubhouse work structure, members also work with a dedicated Clubhouse staff person to develop a personalized service plan of specific short-term and long-term goals that the individual would like to accomplish through their attendance at the Clubhouse.
Eligibility Information:
A CBIS Clubhouse provides services to individuals over the age of 18 with a documented history of an acquired brain injury within the Richmond Metro area (The Mill House) or the Virginia Peninsula (The Denbigh House). Membership is voluntary and available to the individual for as long as they need assistance.
We accept a number of payment sources including Worker’s Compensation Insurance, and external funding sources for specific employment services. CBIS offers a sliding scale fee for individuals without a funding source based upon the individual’s financial situation. We promised long ago that we would never turn away anyone because of their ability to pay for services.
In Her Words: Debra Explains the Clubhouse
To Make a Referral
Individuals with a brain injury may refer themselves, or be referred by any support person, including a professional, family or friend. Referrals to the program may be received by phone, fax, or mail.
For more information on The Mill House or to make a referral, please contact:
Joe Craig, Clubhouse Director
7812 Shrader Rd.
Richmond, VA 23294
For more information on The Denbigh House or to make a referral, please contact:
Kaitey Surrett, Clubhouse Director
12725 McManus Blvd. Suite 2E
Newport News, VA 23602
Katherine@communitybraininjury.org
Please complete the Intake Application and return as instructed.
The Clubhouse Works: And We Can Prove It
In 2017, CBIS was awarded a 3-year $450,000 grant from Virginia’s Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) to conduct a research study on the impact and effectiveness of Acquired Brain Injury Clubhouses. This large, multi-state research project involved eight ABI Clubhouses, including CBIS’s two Clubhouses, The Mill House and The Denbigh House, with research being conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Science and Engineering and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Program for Clubhouse Research.
The goals of this research were two fold:
- To develop a standardized data collection tool, the Clubhouse Profile Questionnaire (CPQ) to standardize data and outcomes across all ABI Clubhouses in the United States.
- To examine the impacts of attending an ABI Clubhouses on an individual’s physical and mental health, functional abilities, safety, and quality of life.
The results of this seminal research project showed that persons with brain injury who attended a brain injury Clubhouse had:
- Improvement in 12 different safety related risk factors including judgement, following through on recommendations, and ability to carry out daily activities.
- A reduction in hospitalization risk factors including acute hospitalization visits, ER visits, and number of days poor health restricted activities.
- Improved independence in functional and everyday living activities, including attention, memory, independent living and participation in home and community activities.
This research project also defined the services, funding, demographics of persons served, costs of Clubhouse services and many other dynamics that will be used to guide best practices and the ongoing development of ABI Clubhouses around the country.
Community Brain Injury Services is the recipient of funding through the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
A copy of the CBIS Title VI Plan, Title VI Complaint and Grievance Form, and Title VI Notice are available at each attached link.