Fairwinds Clubhouse is a program of Fellowship Health Resources.

Open 365 days a year and each day offers a range of career, educational, and recreational opportunities. A world of possibilities for adults with mental illness to live, learn, work and function independently.

Regardless of their level of disability, each member has a contribution to make and Fairwinds relies on their talents, skills and dreams in order to function. Together we face challenges, build confidence and gain acceptance.

Together we create possibilities!

Fairwinds Clubhouse, Falmouth, MA

William "Bill" Gorczyca has built a career with the Department of Mental Health on Cape Cod since 1977, when he came from the Paul A. Dever State Hospital as a part of the transition, from large inpatient hospitals for the mentally ill, to community-based treatment and rehabilitation programs. These consisted of "sheltered workshops" serving both inpatient and outpatient populations on Cape Cod. Bill was convinced that this population could be assisted toward mainstream employment instead of segregated into "sheltered" and substandard workshops.

In 1986, Bill became acquainted with a program called Fountain House, the original clubhouse program created in 1948 by mental health consumers themselves. He proceeded to transform the program at Pocasset into one resembling a clubhouse. Together with the members of this new program adopted the name Fairwinds and began looking for a new, freestanding location.

At the same time, an agency known as "New England Fellowship for Rehabilitation Alternatives," developed "Baybridge," a clubhouse in Hyannis. Assistance from Baybridge director Joel Corcoran enabled Fairwinds to become a hybrid DMH-Fellowship Partnership. With this backing, a site at 510 Main Street in Falmouth was leased, renovated and occupied in May 1989. Two years later, DMH "spun off" the clubhouse to become fully vendor operated.