The goals of the Wasatch House are straightforward. The Provo organization helps people recover from the effects of mental illness, lead a personally satisfying life and feel like a members of a community. This month, Wasatch Behavioral Health’s annual Wasatch Wellness Run was held to raise money for the program.

“Traditionally, we used that money to pay for people that were unfunded so that anyone who wanted to get treatment at Wasatch House but couldn’t afford it, could have that paid for,” said Kathy Barrett, Wasatch House director. “Also, some of that money is used for activities that otherwise our folks would never be able to afford.”

Barrett said that about 200 people signed up to run, but due to poor air quality, some chose to skip the running, but still donate the money. “We still had the park full of people. In addition to that run, annually we have a family fun fair with all different activities,” she said.

A clubhouse program, the Wasatch House is an intentional community that helps people with serious and persistent mental illnesses to be part of society and lead fulfilling lives. People dealing with major depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, autism and more are able to have a place where they belong — a place where they have people that care about them, where they can finish their education, according to Barrett.

“Mental illness often starts young — between eighteen to twenty-five and it pre-empts their education, it pre-empts their lives, their dreams,” she said.

But those dreams can be re-ignited at Wasatch House, where members can continue their education and be trained for employment. “People often think that people with serious mental illnesses can’t work. The truth is when working, their symptoms get better, they have a sense of identity, they don’t hear the voices,” Barrett said.

Members and staff work side-by-side in four different units at Wasatch House. In the kitchen, they work on culinary skills, get their food handlers permit and work in a professional kitchen by planning menus, order, serve and clean up. “They make lunch for about 60 people per day with multiple menu choices,” Barrett said.

Other units include the career unit, business unit and WAG (Wellness, Apparel, Grounds). In all units, members learn indispensable job skills and form relationships with other members and staff. Members often work there until they can find jobs in the community or express interest in outside employment.

“It’s not like in the olden days when people were put in group therapy or individual therapy. Evidence tells us that if we work side by side with people, they actually do internalize those skills and are able to translate that into their lives,” Barrett said. “In traditional psychiatric care, the boundaries are very strict. I wouldn’t sit down with the people I am treating to talk about my family. But in a clubhouse, that is exactly what we do. By modeling appropriate behavior, they get better, they stay out of the hospital, they get jobs.”

Last month, Wasatch House served 141 different people. Usually, about 44-50 people are there every day. “Once a member, always a member,” Barrett said. “We do weekend activities with them, a Tuesday night social activity and we are open every major holiday. We are their community.”

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