BOSTON — On April 7, 10 companies, including the Espirito Santo School in Fall River, were honored by the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (MCC) for being an excellent employer and for choosing to diversify their workforce by employing residents of the Commonwealth who are recovering from a mental health condition.
Those employed are residents of the Commonwealth, who participate in employment and recovery centers, which are funded by the Department of Mental Health (DMH).
Espirito Santo School has employed two members of Towne House Clubhouse, located in Fall River, operated by Fellowship Health Resources. The employees work after school hours to make sure the school is cleaned and disinfected, as extra cleaning is particularly important due to the extraordinary times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Representative Carole Fiola presented the award to Principal Raposo and the school.
The MCC Employment Celebration, typically held at the Statehouse in Boston, is organized by the MCC, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping make sure the community is accessible to those with psychiatric disabilities. This year’s award celebration, due to the pandemic, took place on Zoom.
The honored employers were selected for recognition due to their dedication to creating a welcoming and diverse workforce. DMH-funded Clubhouses serve more than 5,500 residents of the Commonwealth annually, providing services designed to help “members,” all of whom have a mental health condition, to live successfully in the community.
Clubhouses across Massachusetts offer a welcoming, productive place for members to come during the day and assistance in gaining employment, an education, housing, dual recovery, peer and wellness support. Legislators presented the awards.
Representative Fiola presented the award to the Espirito Santo School and its principal Andrew Raposo, who serves on Towne House Clubhouse’s Advisory Board.
“One of the key teachings of our Catholic faith is to ‘love one another’ and supporting the Towne House program is one way for us to demonstrate this every day,” said Raposo. “There are so many people who struggle with mental illness who are blessed to participate in the programs offered by Towne House. I have personally gotten to know the TH members who work after hours at our school and realize that the act of working is part of the recovery process. They are grateful for the opportunity to work and contribute in a positive way to our school.”
