A Publication of Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse
Dream Weaver Volume 24 Number 1
Founded 1991
Winter 2015
Another Great Year To Remember...2014 by Joyce Rupp, Program Manager
1222 Catalpa Drive Royal Oak, MI 48067 Phone: (248) 544-2034 Fax: (248) 544-2152
Inside this issue: Cover…………..… 2014 In Review Page 2……………..……..Education & Employment Page 3….Staff Appreciation Day Page 4……...……An Original Rap Page 5………………...…...Recovery Page 6…..…..Media Lab Update Page 7...Have Fun & Work Hard Thank you to the Clubhouse Members and Staff who contributed to this edition of Dream Weaver: Joyce Rupp Julian T. Jennifer V. Pepa H. Emily B. Shayne R. Gregg S. John R. Stephanie L. Lyndsey S.
Once again, our Clubhouse accomplished significant outcomes in areas of importance to not only our members but also to the community-at-large and to our worldwide Clubhouse community. Targeted goal areas included the following categories: Employment, Education, Wellness, Community Building & Partnerships, and Leadership. Employment: We are very proud to report that on September 30, 2014 when Fiscal Year 13-14 ended, 24 of our members had earned a grand total gross income of $112,519 in wages. This number includes those on Transitional, Supported, and Independent employment with an average wage per hour of $9.56 and working an average of fifteen hours per week. The types of employment included a variety of Clerical, Janitorial/Housekeeping, Stocker, Substitute Teacher, Home Care, Grocery Bagger and Gardening Assistant positions. Education: Since the new Fiscal Year started on October 1, 2014, 63 different members have utilized the resources within our Education Room either as a student or as a tutor who assisted other members on subjects of their choice. Improving upon math, English, reading and writing skills is always popular in the traditional way, but members are also finding the newly established “Media Lab” another way to learn new skills while being creative and also having a lot of fun at the same time. Wellness: In addition to finding new ways to incorporate more health conscious practices into our food component (6,698 meals served last year), 27 members participated in the Michigan State University Extension Office’s 7-week “Eating Right is Basic” course. Both members (and staff) found the instructor to not only be informative with useful ideas, but were also impressed with how she made the course a lot of fun to attend during the late afternoon scheduled time. Community Building and Partnership: Dreams Unlimited hosted 125 community visitors over the year including students from many of the local community colleges and universities. As an organization, we continue to be a proud member of the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce and attend their meetings on a regular basis. We also work very closely with the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and Michigan State University to find ways to improve the Clubhouse Model within Michigan. Leadership: Dreams Unlimited was honored to be chosen to serve on a 20 member statewide MDCH workgroup that focused on the re-evaluation of the Medicaid Standards for Psychosocial Rehabilitation programs within the State of Michigan. This workgroup was made up of both members and staff from Clubhouses throughout Michigan. As a group, we are anxiously waiting to see if any of our recommended changes will be adopted in 2015.