Our History

Thunderbird Clubhouse was established in 1990 as a program of Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center in Norman, Oklahoma. The original director, Nancy Carver was instrumental in creating the Clubhouse culture in the beginning stages. Pam Sanford soon took over as executive director, and under her 21 years of leadership,  the Clubhouse outgrew the space provided and moved to several different locations in Norman.

In 2000, Thunderbird Clubhouse was given the opportunity to apply for and was successful in securing a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. This contract enabled the Clubhouse to strike out on its own and become a free-standing Clubhouse and non-profit. On December 7, 2000, Thunderbird Clubhouse opened its doors as Oklahoma’s second free-standing Clubhouse. In 2001, Clubhouse received its first certification from Clubhouse International, the accrediting body for Clubhouses worldwide. We are proud to say that we have maintained Clubhouse International accreditation since that date.

When the Clubhouse became a free-standing agency, the next goal was to own land and a new facility. That dream became a reality when we broke ground on December 4, 2007. On September 1, 2009, we moved into our new facility on Triad Village Drive. Since that date, we have grown our membership to over 900 members with an active daily attendance of over 40!