The Fountain House: An insanely good place to work

The goal of the Fountain House is that everyone should be able to participate in work- and social communities. Our cornerstones are equality, relations and volunteering.

Problem: Mental health and isolation in work- and social life. At any given time, a portion of the workforce is unable to work due to mental illness. This results in wasted labour and wasted resources for the public sector. For the individual, this isolation results in a heightened risk of poverty and poor health, which in turn burdens the public sector even further.

Background: The Fountain House is a work-focused foundation where people with a history of mental illness can contribute each according to their own ability. All Fountain Houses are non-profit, and independently follow the same rehabilitation model, and they are often associated with both national and international umbrella organisations. This model has been tried and tested in many parts of the world, with great results.
An importance to public health: Having a job to go to can reduce loneliness and isolation for the individual, as well as offer a social arena and better define one’s spare time.

Methodology: The Fountain House does not have users – we have members. Members are not passive customers receiving a service, they are all part of the workforce and together we manage our own workplace and organise services such as transitional employment (TE), collaboration with NAV (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration), support for students, housing, and more.
Membership at the Fountain House is voluntary, free, and without a time limit. All members have a shared ownership of the House and manage its operations together. The most important tool we have in order to support workers and students, is the unique interpersonal relations we form at the House, which lets our members feel safe enough to take their next big leap on their journey. The House supports its members for as long as they require it.

Results: We have conducted annual surveys among our members the last 5 years. The results have been consistent and show us that being a part of our community have several benefits for the individual. When compiling our results between 2017-2022, 37% of our members said that following their membership, their daily lives had become better structured, 46% said they had gained more confidence and independence, 45% reported having been employed or studying, and 32% out of those who had not been employed or in an internship, wished to be in the coming year.

What we have learned: Today there are over 350 Fountain Houses in the world, 22 of which are in Norway. The model has developed over time, but our values: volunteering, equality and relations – still stand firm. Combined, these make the Fountain Houses uniquely equipped to aid in work-focused rehabilitation. Our goal is that everyone who needs a Fountain House to go to, will have access to one.