Threshold Clubhouse: Where People Understand Mental Illness

United Way of the Greater Triangle’s blog lifts up stories of impact across the four counties the organization serves (Durham, Johnston, Orange, and Wake). Through a partnership with The Durham VOICE, United Way is working with students from journalism programs at UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. Central University, and Partners for Youth Opportunity to tell the stories of United Way-funded nonprofit organizations operating within the Northeast Central Durham Community. This story represents the first of the partnership.

To read the full story about Threshold Clubhouse, a United Way-funded nonprofit organization dedicated to serving adults with severe mental illness, visit at durhamvoice.org

At first glance, the one-story brick building located in Wellons Village, just off of Gary Street, doesn’t seem too extraordinary.

But on the inside, there are hundreds of stories ready to be told.

Threshold Clubhouse Durham (TC) is a place dedicated to serving adults with severe mental illness — such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression — with support needed to help them land jobs, improve education and achieve personal goals while staying out of hospitals.

“We instill that this, mental illness, is not all it is,” said Elizabeth Barber, executive director at Threshold. “Create your own destiny.”

Authors:

Khadijah McFadden is a junior at Research Triangle High School serving this year with Partners for Youth Opportunity as the teen editor-in-chief of the Durham VOICE.

Lesly Santos is a sophomore at Durham School of the Arts serving her Partners For Youth Opportunity internship as a staff writer/photographer with the Durham VOICE.

Emma Webber is a freshman at Insight Colearning Center serving her Partners for Youth Opportunity internship as a staff writer/photographer with the Durham VOICE.