SYNOPSIS

Julia starts her new job as a Clinical Psychologist in a psychiatric hospital in the UK. Her first patient, Brian, had been diagnosed schizophrenic, manic depressive, brain damaged and a suicidal alcoholic. Against her better judgement she takes him on for treatment because he is very artistic.

Brian's story and treatment weaves in and out of the stories of other patients who she treats with psychological therapy. They include: Jules, who believes he was abducted by aliens; Panda, who is autistic; Old Ma Smith who has dementia and turns out to have been the head of an East End gang, Duncan, who is an Olympic Gold Medallist involved in incest; Cassie, a victim of successive failed foster care placements; Belinda, who holds Julia hostage to get her son back from foster care; and Edward and Ted, part of a split personality who Julia helps to reintegrate into one person with a new identity.

Julia discovers the Clubhouse model of rehabilitation, widely used in America and many other countries. It has proven to be a highly successful way of giving people with mental health problems a place in the community where they belong and where they are supported to work. This book tells how the Endeavour House Clubhouse and all its satellite housing, are gradually set up to become a successful comprehensive and award-winning community mental health service, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.