Building a Culture of Recovery:

In Central East Ontario

Our society’s self congratulatory belief

that we are free thinking and fair

people, who hold all citizens equal and

worthy, must be challenged. Our

society considers people with mental

health problems and substance abuse

as defective, disabled, or disordered,

despite that these labels perpetuate

Discrimination and are a barrier to

recovery.

.Building a Culture of Recoveryis a project that proposes valuesand principles consistent with recovery:

• autonomy and empowerment• building hope• learning to think and live from a

position of wellness, not illness.

Our Vision for A Culture of Recovery:

Recovery Education for Mainstream

Allies

Introduction to WRAP &WRAP

Facilitator Certification

Recovery Oriented Public

Education : Extra Ordinary

People

Leadership Network for Consumers

A Culture of Recovery

Pathways to Recovery

ConferencePresentations

&Publications

Principles of Recovery

•Wellness and hope•Real and autonomous choice•Anti-oppression and anti-discrimination•Leadership and education•Social Justice and advocacy

Critique and re-balancing power; redefining through language.

Like Minds: Peer Support Education

Peer Designed

Peer Delivered

Peer Evaluated

4 day curriculum revised with consultation with Shery Mead!

Like Minds: Peer Support Education includes the following content

education about Recovery orientation to/education regarding Peer Support issues related to role adjustment and transition Relationship skills such as: communication;

conflict management; facilitation; motivationDistress management Personal skills such as: self care; organization;

negotiating shared-risk; time managementOne module presents technical language and

treatment perspective of mainstream partners

Participants report:

Like Minds: Peer Support Education is an

effective educational strategy that raised

awareness and provided a framework to

debate and prepare to advocate a shift in

the balance of power.

They report an increase in their experience of

capacity and engagement.

AND…..Participants not only identified the need for radical change to beliefs and attitude, as well as radical change to the mental

health and addiction infrastructure and system…

They also wanted to do it!

Recovery Education for Allies:

Building & Supporting Recovery Orientation for

Clinical Services

The Culture of Recovery (www,cultureofrecovery.org) project advances an agenda for change to systems as well as for people experiencing mental health problems and substance abuse. The Culture of Recovery project intends to form a new set of values and principles consistent with a recovery perspective: autonomy and empowerment; building hope and living from a position of wellness not illness.

Recovery Education for Allies builds on investments in education for people in recovery and public education.

Autonomy; choice; hope; wellness; empowerment

Please plan to attend this one day education session for Allies who plan for, lead/manage and deliver clinical services!

Available at the ResourceTable!!!!

WRAP stands for: Wellness Recovery Action Plan.

• WRAP is a self-help program that supports people, ideally in a group setting to reflect and become more aware of their strengths, abilities and resources to be “well”. Our project adopted WRAP as a cornerstone to building recovery awareness and capacity.

Wellness Recovery Action Plan:Participant Evaluation:

44 reflected about their experience during

and following the program including

anecdotal reflections regarding the program

delivery as well as the personal impact

experienced as a result of participation in

the program.

The five key areas for consideration were:

1. Are you more aware of your strengths

2. Do you feel better able to manage your distress and you risk

3. Do you experience more hope

4. Do you experience more social comfort

5. Do you understand more about recovery

WRAP Evaluation.

An overwhelming number of participants assessed excellence in program peer leadership (91%) and program materials (86%).

Overall, participants reported a collective 21% improvement on all measures. The most substantial improvements are noted in the areas of realizing hope (26%) and understanding the recovery perspective (31.4%).

Changes in Understandings and Skills

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Strengths Distress Hope Social Risk Recovery

Sel

f A

sses

smen

t

Before WRAP

After WRAP

The significant increase in the participants understanding of recovery and realization of hope suggests a cumulative learning effect.

• Participants describe that increased Participants describe that increased awareness of stressors and signs of awareness of stressors and signs of distress led to proactive and preventive distress led to proactive and preventive alternative behaviours and thinking. They alternative behaviours and thinking. They indicate that these changes have in turn indicate that these changes have in turn raised tolerance of distress as well as raised tolerance of distress as well as confidence levels in recognizing and confidence levels in recognizing and responding to distress.responding to distress.

• Finally, WRAP education has shifted the perspective of most participants to accept recovery as a journey toward wellness. Adjusting how they define their experiences using recovery language has shifted understandings about personal comfort and responsibility and has resulted in more confidence in being well.

The “Journal of Ethics in Mental Health” is an international,peer-reviewed, web-based journal, available free on-line

worldwide.

Building a Culture of Recovery – April 2008

http://65.39.131.180/ContentPage.aspx?name=Journal%20of%20Ethics%20and%20Mental%20Health

OR google: JEMH