Welcome to the Meeting Place. We're glad you're here!

The Meeting Place is the oldest clubhouse and the only independent clubhouse operating as a 501-3c non-profit corporation in San Diego County. Our program was founded by a small group of consumers/clients, led by Dan Reese, who met on a park bench in Balboa Park to talk and dream. After a lot of hard work and a little help from their friends, they incorporated and were granted non-profit status in January 1972. Shortly after that, they received the first county contract to provide socialization services. I've been lucky enough to work as the Executive Director for the past several years. During this time, we've grown in numbers and purpose. We have relocated to our current spacious clubhouse, developed housing and employment opportunities for our members, became the first ICCD certified clubhouse in the state of California and received the NAMI San Diego Recovery Program Inspiration Award. We accomplished all this by planning and working together. At the Meeting Place, we follow the international standards established for clubhouses modeled after the Fountain House. Clubhouses all over the United States and many other countries follow these standards. They act as a guide to our daily life in the clubhouse and ground us in our decisions as a community. I encourage you to read the standards, ask questions, and participate in the unit and community meetings. Get to know your fellow members and help where you can. This will make your experience at The Meeting Place richer and more meaningful. My door is open most of the time. I hope you'll stop by and talk with me from time to time. If you have special issues or concerns that staff can't assist you with please let me know. We all want you to succeed and move forward toward your goals. Thank you for choosing The Meeting Place. Now, let's get to work. Sharron V. Hedenkamp Executive Director