Membership in a club is open to anyone with a serious mental illness, is voluntary, and never expires. In contrast to traditional day-treatment and other day program models, Clubhouse participants are called "members" (as opposed to "patients" or "clients") and restorative activities focus on their strengths and abilities, not their illness. Clubs are community based, and strive to help members join and remain part of society, with educational, prevocational, health, and mental health support. Members and staff work together to run structured day programs that follow the workday of the community where a given club is located. Programs are based on assumption that people have individual strengths that can be built on and that meaningful relationships and work are the essential; members have the right to choose staff to work with and the kind of work they do.