Canadian Mental Health Association

The Clerical Orientation Social Thrift Store Unit (COSTS) is responsible for various office duties and is divided into the following sections:

Clerical

This unit is an excellent place to pick up clerical skills. We oversees the reception area, where we manage an 8-line switchboard and greet members and guests. Other duties include accounting, paying bills, budget proposals, petty cash, and hiring and training of staff. We also manage several bulletin boards.

Clerical also records all Clubhouse meetings. We rely on computers and office equipment including a fax machine, photocopier, shredder, laminator, and a wide variety of office supplies and software.

Clerical concentrates on publishing three newsletters:

Pathways Weekly

This is our weekly internal paper, which covers Clubhouse events.

The Lantern

Our monthly literary newsletter includes poetry, stories, and games.

The Good News

This monthly paper deals with Clubhouse and mental health issues, and is circulated world-wide.

Orientation and Outreach

Orientation is responsible for tours, assisting new members in settling in, and processing new membership forms.

The purpose of Outreach is to let members know that we care about them, that they are missed, and to find out if there is some way in which the Clubhouse may assist them. Outreach also involves visiting members in hospital or at home, celebrating birthdays and other special occasions, and visiting other agencies and groups to educate them on the Clubhouse Model and how we function.

Social

The Social Program includes a monthly calendar of fun activities, both in-house and in the community. Each week, a committee made up of staff and members meets to organize and promote activities like dinner and a movie, walks, miniature golf, and excursions.　

 
Thrift Store   

The thrift store works like all of our other units with members and staff working side by side. The thrift store allows people to gain experience working in retail and dealing with customers, while at the same time raising funds for the Clubhouse. The Thrift Store is open to both Clubhouse members and the public.

Thrift Store Hours:　 Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.