What is Recovery?
When we first experience a mental illness or distress we are often diagnosed and told how this is going to affect our future.
Many people have been told that they have a ‘catastrophic illness’ and that they should forget all the hopes and dreams they had for their futures.
There is more and more evidence that many people who have had and who continue to experience periods of mental distress can and do live a full life (even if not all the symptoms of their illness have gone).
There is a growing understanding that mental health services can both help and hinder people. The Recovery Approach has been and is being developed by people who have personal experience of mental illness and who have gone on to make many of their dreams become real.
Mental Health Services in much of America, Australia and New Zealand are based on Recovery. There is commitment in this country for the NHS to take on a recovery working style.
Recovery - What it is:
- Recovery is about taking back control over one’s life;
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everyone’s recovery journey is different and deeply personal;
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Recovery is about growth;
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Recovery can, and does, occur without professional intervention.
Second Step aims to: “Deliver services that are fully recovery orientated".
“We intend to develop and deliver recovery orientated support planning and practice across the organisation as well as reviewing all policies and procedures to ensure they are consistent with recovery.”
Recovery is covered in various ways across Second Step including:
- Recovery Working Group;
- Block induction training;
- Core training course;
- Support planning tool (PATH);
- introduction of WRAP plans;
- Recovery Pilot (Strategic network).