June 18, 2026

By Michael Dunn, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Connections

When people talk about mental health recovery, the conversation often starts with treatment, crisis response, or access to services.

All of those things matter. They are important.

But in the time I have been leading Mental Health Connections, I have been reminded repeatedly that recovery also depends on something much more basic, and much more human.

People need a place where they are known.
A place where they are welcomed.
A place where they have a role.
A place where they are needed.

That may sound simple, but for adults living with serious mental health challenges, it can be life changing.

Many of the members we serve have experienced long periods of isolation. Some have been disconnected from family, employment, education, housing stability, or the everyday routines that many of us take for granted. When someone has been overlooked or pushed to the limits, recovery cannot only be about receiving services. It must also be about rebuilding connection, confidence, and purpose.

That is what I appreciate most about the Clubhouse model.

At Mental Health Connections, Connections House is not just a program people attend. It is a community that people help build. Members are part of the daily life of the Clubhouse, helping with the work, the routines, and the relationships that make the community strong.

They help prepare meals. They support reception. They work on clerical projects. They participate in horticulture, nutrition, and multimedia programs. They build digital skills by helping produce podcasts, videos, and social media content.

Those activities may look ordinary from the outside. But they are not ordinary.

They are moments where members begin to see themselves differently. They are opportunities to contribute, to be counted on, to practice skills, and to rebuild confidence one step at a time.

I have learned over the years that people do not regain confidence simply because someone tells them they matter. They begin to regain confidence when they experience what it feels like to matter.

When someone walks into Connections House and has a role to play, something shifts. When they are expected, when someone knows their name, when their contribution helps the day move forward, they are no longer isolated from the life of the community. They are part of it.

This is where recovery becomes real.

This is also why belonging cannot be treated as a soft idea or an extra feature of mental health support. Belonging is part of the work. It is part of how people stabilize, grow, and move toward greater independence.

We see this not only with members but also through the eyes of families and caregivers. Families want to know that their loved one has somewhere safe to go. They want to know there is structure, community, and support. They want to know their loved one is not alone.

This is what Mental Health Connections is working to provide every day.

Through Connections House and our Peer Connections Centers, we are continuing to build a network of support across Contra Costa County. We want adults living with serious mental health challenges to have access to safe, stigma-free spaces where they can participate, learn, and connect.

We are also looking ahead.

The launch of the Connections House Advisory Board is a major step in strengthening our connection to local businesses and expanding our Transitional Employment opportunities. Employment can be a powerful part of recovery when it is approached with the right support. Part-time roles at real job sites give members a chance to rebuild work routines, develop confidence, and see themselves as capable again.

This matters.

If we want better mental health outcomes, awareness alone is not enough.

We need places where people can belong.
We need programs where people can participate.
We need communities where people are not defined by illness, but by possibility.

This is the work we are doing at Mental Health Connections.