Robert Braganza used to be so shy that, as a little boy, he hid when his grandfather threw a party because he couldn’t face all those people.

In high school, his parents thought he was slacking off when he didn’t do well, because he was clearly bright. As it turned out, he was grappling with depression. He wound up dropping out of college, and turned 25 having never held a job.

Today, as the nation celebrates Labor Day, the 26-year-old is not only employed, he also deals directly with customers as a food server at Times Supermarkets. He recently got a 100 percent rating from the store’s "secret shopper" for his attentive service.

"I became more comfortable talking to people as time passed by," said Braganza, his heavy black-rimmed glasses low on his nose, looking like the philosophy student he hopes to become once he saves up enough money. "I think working at Times made it easier for me."

The transformation came after he joined the Waipahu Aloha Clubhouse, one of 10 such facilities statewide that help members who have faced mental illness rebuild their lives and find jobs. Little by little, more employers are willing to give people with such backgrounds a chance and are finding that it can pay off, for both the companies and the employees.

Times Supermarkets and T.J. Maxx are among the latest businesses to work with the clubhouse, joining longtime supporters such as Hagadone Printing Co., Mililani Agricultural Park and the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club.

"Mental illness is not a life sentence," said Kim Golis, director of the Waipahu Clubhouse. "With good medication, support and some structure to your life, you can accomplish anything: You can go back to work, go back to school, have a family and friends."

The state-funded facilities are welcoming places where people who have had serious mental illness come together voluntarily to get back on track, guided by a professional staff. They socialize, learn skills by volunteering at the center, and try out paid jobs at companies to get on the path to permanent employment. Clubhouse staff match individuals with positions and provide coaching and backup.

At Hagadone Printing’s well-manicured headquarters near the airport, members of the Waipahu Aloha Clubhouse handle landscaping and recycling duties.

"The place never looked better," said Hagadone CEO Clint Schroeder, noting the pride the employees take in their work. "You can see it every day, they are so happy to be there. I wish all my employees were like that," he added with a grin.

GETTING A JOB can be crucial in restoring mental health. Usually the first question upon meeting someone is, "What do you do?" Not having an answer can be uncomfortable.

"What we do for a living so defines us," said Schroeder, past president of the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Honolulu. "We need to eliminate the stigma so people treat mental health the same way they treat physical health."

One in 5 adults in the United States had mental illness in the past year, with 1 in 20 adults seriously functionally impaired as a result, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In Hawaii, the Department of Health estimates that about 57,000 people have serious mental illness. Diagnoses include anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, among others.

Even people with severe mental illness can be treated and lead productive lives. But they face high hurdles entering the workplace because many Americans wrongly equate mental illness with violence, in part due to portrayals in entertainment and mass media, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"Mental illness is so misunderstood and people have a lot of misperceptions, so they’re afraid," said Marya Grambs, executive director of Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, who was hospitalized herself during her struggle with depression.

"Very, very, very few people with mental illness are violent," she said. "Unfortunately, those are the ones that make the front pages."

Wayne Ogasawara, owner-manager of Mililani Agricultural Park, said acquaintances question his decision to hire people who have had mental health disorders to work on his farm, which he has done frequently over the years.

"They say, ‘Gee, aren’t you afraid of them?’ It’s a very common concern among people," the plain-spoken farmer said. "I tell them, no, that’s the least of my concerns. … I’ve never had a situation whereby I felt threatened or anything like that."

He cited a prized employee who has worked on his farm for years, whose fastidiousness is part of his condition and perfectly suits his job trimming nursery plants and pulling weeds.

"He does such a fantastic job," Ogasawara said. "Even the piles of weeds are laid out symmetrically. And he’s happy as a lark."

Ewa resident Flora Patton, 48, a once-melancholy mother of two, also found new friends and a new path to mental health at the Waipahu Clubhouse. After a couple of temporary positions, she landed a permanent job as a classroom cleaner that helps support her boys, ages 7 and 9.

"Work makes me feel very good," Patton said. "I look forward to going to work every day. I will work there until I retire."

Grambs called the Clubhouses "a bright light" in the state’s mental health system. They are inexpensive and effective, she said, helping people who might otherwise spiral downward get services and earn paychecks and respect. But she emphasized that they need to be restored to full staffing after earlier budget cuts and also need more business partners.

"Labor Day is a good time to remember that there are some people among us who need some extra help to enter the labor force," said Kathleen Rhoads Merriam, the Department of Health’s Clubhouse coordinator. "Given a little bit of support, they too can have a reason to celebrate Labor Day."

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ON THE NET:

» For more on clubhouses, visit health.hawaii.gov/amhd/consumer/clubhouse