International standards for Fontenehus 
 
The international standards for fountain houses are, by consensus, adopted by the worldwide community of fountain houses. These standards define the fountain houses' way of rehabilitating. The principles expressed in the standards are at the heart of the fountain houses' success in helping people with mental illness to avoid hospitalizations and at the same time acquire social, economic, educational and vocational goals.
The standards also serve as a rights document for members and as an ethical guide for employees, management and the board. The standards emphasize that a fountain house is a place that gives members respect and opportunities.
The standards form the basis for assessing the quality of the fountain house through Clubhouse International's own accreditation process.
Every other year, the standards are revised by the global network of fountain houses and changed where deemed necessary. The process is coordinated by The Standards Review Committee, which consists of members and staff from accredited fountain houses around the world.
 
MEMBERSHIP
1 . Membership is voluntary and without time limit.
2 . Fontenehuset has control over the intake of new members. Membership is open to anyone who is or has been mentally ill, unless the person poses a significant and current threat to the general safety of the fountain house.
3 . Members choose how they want to benefit from the fountain house and which employees they want to work with. There are no agreements, contracts, schedules or rules for the purpose of forcing members to participate.
4 . All members have equal access to the fountain house's possibilities, regardless of diagnosis or functional level.
5 . Members choose to participate in reporting regarding their participation in the fountain house. All such documentation must be approved and signed by both member and employee.
6 . Members have the immediate right to return to the fountain house after a short or long absence, unless their return poses a threat to the community.
7 . The fountain houses have their own effective system for member contact, called "reach out", for members who do not show up, who are in the process of isolating themselves or being admitted to hospital.

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RELATIONSHIPS
8 . All meetings in the fountain house are open to both members and staff. There are no formal meetings only for members, or only for employees where the operation of the fountain house or membership issues are discussed.
9 . Fontenehuset's employees are many enough to engage the members, but still too few for their areas of responsibility to be taken care of without members being involved.
10 . Employees have general roles. All employees share the responsibility for work, housing, evening, weekend and holiday programs as well as unit tasks. Employees do not share their time between the fountain house and other significant work responsibilities that come into conflict with the unique relationship between member and employee.
11 . The responsibility for the operation of the fountain house lies with members and employees, and ultimately with the general manager. Central to this responsibility is that members and employees get involved in all parts of the operation. 

PREMISES
12 . The fountain house has its own identity which means a separate name, postal address and telephone number.
13 . The fountain house is located in its own premises. It is separate from all forms of psychiatric treatment services or institutions and can not be combined with activities other than the fountain house. The fountain house is designed to suit the work-oriented day. At the same time, it must be attractive, appropriate in size and provide an experience of respect and dignity.
14 . Fontenehuset's premises are available to both members and employees. There are no areas for members only or for employees only.
 

THE WORK-ORIENTED DAY
15 . The work-oriented day engages members and staff together, side by side, in the operation of the fountain house. Fontenehuset focuses on resources, abilities and skills. Therefore, the work-oriented day is incompatible with the existence of outpatient clinics, day centers or therapy facilities within the fountain house.
16 . Work performed in the fountain house is exclusively work that has arisen from the operation or further development of the fountain house. Work for external persons or companies, paid or unpaid, shall not be accepted as work in the fountain house. Members are not paid for the work they do at the fountain house, nor are there any artificial reward systems.
17 . The fountain house is open at least five days a week. The work-oriented day corresponds to a normal working day.
18 . Fontenehuset is organized in one or more work units, each of which has a sufficient number of employees, members and meaningful work tasks to maintain a full-fledged and engaging work-oriented day. The working meetings are held to promote relationships and to organize and plan the day's work.
19 . All work in the fountain house is designed to help members regain self-worth, meaning and self-confidence. It is not meant to be specific vocational training.
20 . Members have the opportunity to participate in all work on the fountain house, including administration, research, membership intake and introduction, reach out, hiring, training and evaluation of employees, PR work, promotion of the fountain house model and evaluation of the fountain house efficiency.
 

WORK
21 . Fontenehuset makes it possible for its members to return to paid work through transitional work, work with support and ordinary work. Therefore, the fountain house does not offer work to members through internal companies, separate companies or permanently adapted workplaces.
Transition work
22 . Fontenehuset has its own transitional work program that gives members access to paid jobs in the ordinary labor market. As a special feature of the fountain house's transitional work program, the fountain house guarantees substitutes in all positions in the absence of members. In addition, the program meets the following basic criteria:
  a . The desire to work is the most important factor that determines the possibility of a position.

  b . The possibility of a transitional work is independent of whether one has succeeded or not in previous placements.
  c . The members work at the employer's workplace.

  d . The members are paid at current rates with a guaranteed minimum wage and are paid directly by the employer.

  e . Transitional jobs should include a wide range of different types of positions.

  f . Transitional work is part-time work and time-limited, usually 15 to 20 hours a week and lasting six to nine months.

  g . Selection and training of members for transitional work is the responsibility of the fountain house and not the employer.

  h . Fontenehuset's members and employees prepare reports on transitional workplaces for all appropriate bodies that deal with the members' benefits.

  i . The transition workplaces are managed by the fountain house's employees and members, not by specialists in transition work.

  j . There are no transition jobs at the fountain house. Transitional workplaces at a parent company must be located outside the fountain house and satisfy all the above criteria. Work with support and ordinary work
23 . Fontenehuset offers its own program of work with support and ordinary work to assist members in securing, maintaining and improving their working conditions. As a special feature of the fountain house's program for work with support, the fountain house keeps in touch with members and their employers. Members and staff jointly agree on the type of support, how often and where it should take place.
24 . Members who are in ordinary work continue to have access to all the fountain house's possibilities, including guidance regarding benefits, help with housing, health services, legal, financial and personal problems as well as participation in evening and weekend programs.
 

EDUCATION
25 . Fontenehuset supports members in achieving their professional and educational goals by helping them to take advantage of various educational offers. Where the fountain house offers internal training, members' ability to teach and guide will be used to a great extent.

FUNCTIONS OF THE FOUNTAIN HOUSE
26 . The fountain house is located in an area where access to public transport can be used, both in terms of getting to and from the fountain house and the transition workplaces. The fountain house provides good alternatives when access to public transport is limited.
27 . Help with public support schemes is provided by members and staff at the fountain house. Assistance in connection with public support schemes is a central part of the units' tasks at the fountain house. This includes help with public services, housing guidance, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, as well as access to good offers within medical, psychological, pharmacological and drug treatment in the local community.
28 . Fontenehuset provides guidance, activities and opportunities to support members to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
29 . Fontenehuset is committed to ensuring a varied offer of safe, decent and affordable housing, including independent accommodation for all members. Fontenehuset has access to a housing program that meets these requirements. If this is not possible, the fountain house develops its own program. Housing program for fountain houses has the following minimum requirements:
  a . Members and staff manage the program together.
  b . Members who live in a home do so at their own choice.

  c . Members choose the location of the home and who they want to live with.

  d . Procedures and guidelines are developed in accordance with the rest of the fountain house culture.

  e . The degree of support is adjusted in accordance with the member's needs.

  f . Members and staff actively support members in keeping the home, especially during periods when the member is hospitalized.

30 . Fontenehuset conducts an objective evaluation of its own effectiveness, including accreditation by Clubhouse International.
31 . The general manager, members, employees and other relevant persons participate in a comprehensive two- or three-week training program in the fountain house model at a certified training base.
32 . Fontenehuset has leisure and social programs in the afternoons and on weekends. Holidays are celebrated on the day in question.
 

FINANCING, MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
33 . Fontenehuset has an independent board, or if it is affiliated with a parent company, an advisory body. The board or advisory body consists of people who have the position and network to support the fountain house in areas of finance, law, political influence, develop job opportunities, public support schemes, user rights and visibility of the fountain house.
34 . Fontenehuset develops and maintains its own budget that is approved by the board or supported by the advisory body. The board or the advisory body provides input and recommendations in advance of the financial year and follows up the budget regularly throughout the year.
35 . The employees' salary level is competitive with similar positions within mental health work.
36 . Fontenehuset has the support of the health and social authorities, and has all the necessary approvals and accreditations. Fontenehuset collaborates with people and organizations that can promote the fountain house's efficiency in society in general.
37 . The Fountain House holds open forums and has procedures that enable members and employees to participate actively in decision-making processes, normally by consensus, in terms of management, design of procedures and the future development of the Fountain House.

 

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Clubhouse International   

483 10th Avenue, Suite 205 October 1989 © New York,

New York 10018 Revised as of October 2016 USA 

Telephone: 212 582 0343

Fax: 212 397-1649 Web: www.clubhouse-intl.org

Translated into Norwegian March 16, 2018