Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Employment Services Offered by the Clubhouse Model

Clubhouses are community-based mental health programs that offer participants (members) educational opportunities, housing, employment, and other services (Macias, Barreira, Alden, & Boyd, 2001). Currently, clubhouses dedicate many resources towards services to help members enter into community-based employment through Transitional Employment (TE), Supported Employment (SE), and Independent Employment (IE). Benefits from employment can assist in offsetting costs to mental health services. This study measured costs of member employment services in 43 US clubhouses. The present study found several relationships between how member earnings and employment may be affected by specific member and staff characteristics. Results demonstrated that for every hour a staff member dedicates to employment services members earn $38.73 and for every one dollar invested in employment services members earn $1.31. Further, clubhouses dedicated a median of 120.55 hours and $3,438 to employment services for every member employed for at least 6 months in a given year.