Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) exhibit low motivation to participate in educational leisure activities at Clubhouses accredited by Clubhouse International (CI). This correlational study examined the relationship between each of 4 motives, intellectual, social, competence-mastery, and stimulus-avoidance, to engage in leisure activities, and the perception of recovery from SMI. Knowles's theory of andragogy supported the concept of informal self-directed learning, which occurs with leisure activities. Literature indicates that participating in leisure activities such as those offered at Clubhouses aids in the recovery from SMI. Quantitative data were collected from a convenience sample of 75 individuals at 4 CI clubhouses using 2 Likert-scale instruments, the Leisure Motivational Scale (LMS) and the Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS). Pearson correlation coefficients indicated significant moderate positive correlations between each of 4 motives, intellectual, social, competence-mastery, and stimulus-avoidance, to engage in leisure activities, and the perception of recovery from SMI. These findings were used to design a professional development program on motivation to teach the staff at a Clubhouse about how to engage members in leisure activities. The study has the potential to inspire positive social change by motivating members to improve their quality of life, learn social and work skills, develop friendships and a support system, reengage with society, and to become employed.