We need inclusive, community-run clubhouse spaces in upstate New York counties, especially in the Finger Lakes region where I live, is more essential than ever. Lakeview Mental Health slowly eliminated its clubhouse over the years, particularly in the late 2010s. Now, it’s little more than what some describe as a drop-in center where peers go to receive basic services, without opportunities to connect with one another or build a sense of community. Every peer interaction feels pre-packaged and predetermined by Lakeview staff, impersonal, and rigid. If a peer doesn’t want to engage in the prescribed way, they are often shut out. There are few, if any, alternatives available.
The restructuring and eventual elimination of the Lakeview clubhouse has left segments of the local population disenfranchised and without options. While some peers have sought alternatives, others have given up hope—or are on the verge of giving up hope—of ever finding a community they can call their own. Their mental health recovery is jeopardized, leaving them vulnerable. Sadly, some have turned to behaviors that led them to respite centers, mental health clinics, CPEPs, psychiatric facilities, jail, the judicial system, or even to permanent injury or death.
As a resident of Ontario County, NY, I feel deeply disenfranchised and disconnected from many local residents as a person of color. Every time I go to work—I’m a 150-day substitute teacher at Geneva High School—I fear that the quality of my work will be questioned. Many students, teachers, and administrators see me not as a “real” teacher but as a glorified babysitter. This constant scrutiny takes a toll on my mental health and recovery efforts.
I have been trolled, mocked, pranked, belittled, and patronized by both students and staff. Compounding this is the lingering trauma from a toxic relationship when I lived in the Bronx, as well as the lack of support I received during that time from ACMH, Community Access, and the New York City Justice Center. These were dark times. I also received no support from Baltic Street or elsewhere after being struck by a vehicle on the evening of August 10, 2022, in Brooklyn—after work—and left for dead. These incidents ultimately led to my decision to leave New York City on February 1, 2023.
As someone living with bipolar/schizoaffective challenges, everything I’ve mentioned in points 1 and 2 has left me psychophysiologically exhausted. Most days, I debate whether I want to go to work. Even more troubling are the thoughts that plague me:
“Something is wrong with me,” “I will never be worthy of love or respect,” “I wish I wasn’t Black, or gay, or ugly,” and “My qualifications as a professional will always be questioned.”
Even more alarming are thoughts like,
“If I were given a one-way plane ticket to leave the country, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it,” or “Perhaps the United States should revisit the separate-but-equal clause.”
I understand these statements may be jarring or cause concern, but I am not alone in these feelings. Many people of color echo the high levels of discrimination, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disconnection, and systemic racism we face simply because of the color of our skin—something we cannot change. The sense of inferiority imposed on Black and brown people has created an epidemic that can no longer be ignored or addressed with superficial measures.
If more sustainable, inclusive solutions to these challenges aren’t developed, what’s the point? Nothing done half-heartedly, or driven by hate, greed, or malice, has ever endured long-term.
In my opinion, it is time—long overdue, to be blunt—for…