THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
COURSE NUMBER:
COURSE TITLE:
SEMESTER AND YEAR:
TIMES:
INSTRUCTOR:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
OFFICE HOURS:
SOWO 705
Mental Health Recovery and Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Spring Semester, 2015
Mondays 2:00 – 4:50, January 12 – March 2
Laurie Selz Campbell, MSW, CPRP
919-843-6394
lauriesc@unc.edu
Mondays 12 – 1:30 and by appointment, TTK # 354
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The concept of mental health recovery is introduced, exploring
theoretical foundations and lived experiences of consumers. Psychiatric rehabilitation is
discussed as a framework and set of interventions supporting recovery.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Describe the evolution of mental health recovery and psychiatric rehabilitation,
identifying cultural forces and scientific advances that have shaped this evolution.
2. Contrast recovery-oriented and pathology/symptom-oriented approaches to care;
articulate a practice philosophy that integrates recovery principles.
3. Identify barriers to and facilitators of recovery; analyze therapeutic interactions and
settings in terms of the manner in which they foster or impede recovery.
4. Describe the psychiatric rehabilitation approach, including core values, principles,
components, and processes. Identify ways in which the approach is congruent with social
work values, ethics, and social justice foundations.
5. Conduct rehabilitation readiness assessments and develop plans that incorporate personal
strengths, personal responsibility for wellness, mutual support, and skill development in
the natural environment.
6. Implement rehabilitation strategies addressing crucial developmental milestones, and
summarize the current state of research evidence supporting the strategies.
7. Describe rehabilitation approaches with persons who have been underserved or
inadequately served by the mental health system, including gay and lesbian consumers,
and culturally and ethnically diverse consumers.
8. Describe advances in psychiatric rehabilitation in response to contemporary social and
systems issues, including veterans, dually-diagnosed persons, and incarcerated persons
with mental illness.
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EXPANDED DESCRIPTION
Advances in the understanding and treatment of severe and persistent mental illness
encourage us to challenge long-held assumptions about the chronicity of the illness and the
potential of mental health consumers to live fulfilled, contributing lives. The concept of
mental health recovery and the principles of psychiatric rehabilitation are presented so that
students can begin to consider how they might foster the recovery process by supporting
consumers to achieve critical life milestones that were interrupted by the onset of mental
illness.
REQUIRED TEXT
Davidson, L., Rowe, M., Tondora, J., O’Connell, M., & Lawless, M. (2008). A practical guide to
recovery-oriented practice: Tools for transforming mental health care. New York, NY:
Oxford University Press.
Additional readings will be posted on Sakai.
TEACHING METHODS
I hope that we can all take part in creating a classroom culture characterized by curiosity,
exploration, and openness to a variety of perspectives. I expect that we will function as
colleagues with much to learn and much to teach. An integral part of the course will be the
inclusion of mental health consumers as co-teachers and participants. In addition to the
specific knowledge and skills described above, therefore, I hope that you will begin to
experience working with mental health consumers as “partners” rather than “patients.”
Throughout the course, you will be asked to reflect on the degree to which your practice
embodies recovery and rehabilitation principles.
ASSIGNMENTS
There will be 2 assignments for the course, described here:
Assignment 1:
Reflection on Participatory Dialogue
Due Feb. 8
After taking part in the dialogue, please write a reflection paper of about 5-6 pages. This is
primarily a reflection (rather than a research) paper, so you can write in first person; however, an
excellent paper will draw from, incorporate, and cite course readings on recovery. Therefore, you
should use APA formatting for citations and references.
Use the following questions to guide your reflection:
1.
One of the purposes of the dialogue was to invite you to question your assumptions and
beliefs (explicit or not) about mental illness and the people who live with it. With this in
mind, please reflect on your experience during the dialogue, addressing any of the following
as relevant:
 What were your expectations and/or feelings in anticipation of the dialogue? What
were you looking forward to? Did you feel any reluctance? How was the actual
experience similar to/different from what you anticipated?
 What, if any, moments were uncomfortable for you? Briefly describe, and consider
what the roots of your discomfort might be. How did you respond? Looking back, is
there anything you might you do or say differently?
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


What, if any, moments were surprising to you (in terms of challenging your own
perceptions/assumptions, or an idea expressed in our readings)? Briefly describe, and
reflect on the belief or assumption that was challenged.
How would you compare this dialogue to your typical conversations with
clients/patients/consumers? You can reflect on content (what we talked about) as
well as process (power, self-disclosure, others as relevant). Feel free, also, to
comment on any other important dynamics that you observed
Finally, what do you think worked well in the dialogue? What, if anything, would you
change?
2. Think about a specific consumer/client with whom you are working (or have worked).
Identify an insight shared during the dialogue that encouraged you to think about your work
with this individual in a different or new way. What was the insight? What thoughts did it
prompt? What is at least one action that you might take in your work with your client as a
result?
3. Finally, think about the setting in which you are working (or have worked). Considering the
insights shared during the dialogue, combined with what you have learned from the readings
on recovery-oriented systems and interventions, identify elements within your setting that
you believe effectively support the recovery process, and conversely, those elements that may
hinder it. You can consider anything that seems relevant, including structure (e.g. caseload,
administrative requirements, funding streams, specific models that are mandated), and/or
process (e.g. explicit or implicit beliefs about treatment and recovery, nature and quality of
supervision, involvement of consumers/peers, organizational culture). What would be one
small change that your agency might make to enhance its focus on recovery?
Assignment 2:
Rehab/Recovery Interventions for Consumers with Complex Needs
Due Feb 29
For this assignment, you will choose (1) a specific subgroup of persons with SPMI, and (2) a
specific life milestone or other rehabilitation/recovery focus. We will decide as a class (based on
the level of shared interests) whether to complete this assignment individually or in groups. The
goal of the assignment is to develop a well-reasoned intervention plan that reflects recovery
principles and incorporates elements of psychiatric rehabilitation practice.
Here are some examples of combinations that you might choose (though this is by no means
exhaustive – feel free to follow your own interests!):
Group: Veterans with SPMI
Focus: Housing
Group: Ex-offenders with SPMI
Focus: Employment, housing
Group: People with SPMI & trauma histories
Focus: Personal safety, reproductive health
Group: People with SPMI & addictions
Focus: Wellness self-management
Group: Young adults with 1st-onset SPMI
Focus: Education, relationships & sexuality
Group: Women (or men) with SPMI
Focus: Parenting
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Your presentation of about 30 minutes, a reference list, and a 1-page synopsis to be shared with
classmates. You are free to use readings that we have completed during the course, but you
should plan to include additional scholarly resources that address the specifics of your topic (and
the specific questions below).
Please use the following questions/sections to guide development of your presentation:
1.
Help us to get to know the group you have chosen. Consider gender, age, socioeconomic
status, ethnicity, lived or shared experiences, and/or other characteristics of relevance.
2. What is your rationale for choosing the milestone or rehab/recovery issue that you did for this
particular group? Consider things like developmental tasks and trajectories, community
inclusion, experiences of oppression and discrimination, and other relevant rationales.
3. Review the evidence regarding psychiatric rehabilitation and related interventions with this
issue/group. Are there any that might be considered efficacious or promising? What
questions and challenges remain? If research has not been conducted on your specific
issue/group, what can be learned from the research on related populations?
4. Propose an intervention to address this issue with your chosen group, incorporating responses
to the following:
a. Identify the primary outcomes you would address and the services or program
elements you would include
b. Develop a name and/or a logo for your program that captures its focus on recovery.
c. Identify one specific skill that you might want to address in your program. Why
would this skill be important? Provide a brief outline of the steps you would use to
assist in development of that skill.
d. Identify any clinical or social justice concerns that might be of special importance (e.g.
cultural responsiveness, inclusion of families, perpetuation of oppressive power
relations, stigma). How might you address these?
e. Finally, evaluate your proposed program in terms of ways in which it is, and in which
it might not be, consistent with recovery principles, processes, and systems. If it is not
entirely consistent with these, discuss some of the context or challenges that might
contribute to this.
GRADING SYSTEM
Scores will be assigned as follows:
Reflection Paper
35 points
Presentation
45 points
Participation
20 points
Total
100 points
Grades will be assigned as follows:
94 - 100
H
80 - 93
P
70 - 79
L
<70
F
POLICY ON INCOMPLETES AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day noted. Please notify me at least 2
days in advance if you would like to have an extension. Otherwise, I will need to deduct 5% of
the assignment’s points per day (including weekends, and including the date on which the
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assignment was due, if you submit it after the beginning of class). Incompletes may be
granted if (a) there are extreme and unforeseeable circumstances that affect your ability to
complete the semester’s work, and (b) we discuss in advance a plan and timeline for
completing your work.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
Academic dishonesty (including plagiarism, misrepresenting data, giving or receiving
unauthorized assistance, and aiding another student in academic dishonesty) is contrary to
the ethics of our profession, unfair to others, and will not be tolerated. All assignments must
include the following signed pledge: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in
preparing this written work.” You should refer to the APA Style Guide, the SSW Manual, and
the SSW Writing Guide for information about properly citing others’ work.
POLICY ON ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
If you have a disability that affects your participation in the course and you wish to receive
accommodations, you should contact the University’s Disabilities Services. They will then
notify me of the documented disability, and we can meet to design the appropriate
accommodations to support your learning.
POLICIES ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM:
I expect that we will all be invested in creating a learning environment of respect and
engagement. During class, cell phones should be turned off or transferred to voice mail. In
addition, while I welcome the use of laptops in class for taking notes or completing small
group tasks, I ask that you use them only for relevant activities – not for checking email or
surfing the Web. I also ask that laptops be closed when we have guests in the class.
Your attention is an important sign of respect to your colleagues, and an important part of
your learning.
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TOPICS & READINGS
Date
Week 1
Jan 11
Topics
Introduction
 Evolution of MH
recovery concept
 Prep for dialogue
Readings
Optional readings for first class:
Braslow, J. T. (2013). The manufacture of recovery. Annual Review of
Clinical Psychology, 9, 781-809. Provides a great overview/historical
perspective on the evolution of the “recovery model”
Jan 18
Jan 25
No class – Martin Luther King Day
Facilitated Dialogue on
Recovery with Mental
Health Consumer
Guests
Text:
Ch. 1: The Recovery Movement & Its Implications for Transforming Clinical
& Rehabilitative Practice
Ch. 2: A Model of Being in Recovery as a Foundation for Recovery-Oriented
Practice
On Sakai:
Davidson, L., Sells, D., Sangster, S., & O’Connell, M. (2005). Qualitative
studies of recovery: What can we learn from the person? In R.O. Ralph
& P.W. Corrigan (Eds.), Recovery in mental illness: Broadening our
understanding of wellness (pp. 147-170). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association. Skim for trends & themes.
Feb 1
Recovery-Focused
Practice & Systems
 Transforming
practice toward a
recovery orientation
 Recovery & EBP
 Looking within –
stigma & our roles
as professionals
Text:
Ch. 3:
The Top 10 Concerns about Recovery Encountered in System
Transformation
Ch. 4: Practice Standards for Recovery Oriented Care
Ch. 5: The Role of the Recovery Guide: A Recovery-Oriented Alternative
to Clinical Case Management
Stigma & Professional Boundary Readings:
Gonzales, L., Davidoff, K. C., Nadal, K. L., & Yanos, P. T. (2014).
Microaggressions experienced by persons with mental illnesses: An
exploratory study. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 37, 1-8.
O'Leary, P., Tsui, M., & Ruch, G. (2013). The boundaries of the social work
relationship revisited: Towards a connected, inclusive and dynamic
conceptualization. British Journal of Social Work, 43, 135-153.
Recovery & Evidence Based Practice Readings – Choose One:
Salyers, M., & Tsemberis, S. (2007). ACT & recovery: Integrating evidencebased practice & recovery orientation on assertive community
treatment teams. Community Mental Health Journal, 43(6), 619-641.
Stergiopoulos, V., O'Campo, P., Gozdzik, A., Jeyaratnam, J., Corneau, S.,
Sarang, A., & Hwang, S. (2012). Moving from rhetoric to reality:
Adapting Housing First for homeless individuals with mental illness
from ethno-racial groups. BMC Health Services Research, 12(1), 345-358.
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Date
Feb 8
Topics
Specific Interventions
Driven by Recovery
Principles
Psychiatric Rehab
Overview
 Emergence,
definitions, guiding
principles
 Rehabilitation
readiness
assessment &
planning
 Basics of skill
training
Readings
Select TWO of the following interventions to research for an informal
roundtable discussion:
 Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP)
 Psychiatric advance directives
 Clubhouse model rehabilitation (Fountain House)
 Seeking Safety
 Trauma Recovery & Empowerment Model (TREM)
 Shared Decision Making (SDM) in mental health
 Peer-run crisis services
Psychiatric Rehab Readings:
Anthony, W. A, & Farkas, M. D. (2009). A primer on the psychiatric
rehabilitation process. Boston, MA: Boston University. Please review
the Preface & pages 9-15.
Corrigan, P., & McCracken, S. (2005). Place first, then train: An alternative
to the medical model of psychiatric rehabilitation. Social Work, 50(1),
31-39.
McNamara, S. (2003). Assessing & developing readiness for rehabilitation.
Recovery & Rehabilitation, 2(3), 1-4.
Nemec, P. B., McNamara, S., Walsh, D. (1992). Direct skills teaching.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 16(1), 13-25.
Feb 15
Rehabilitation
Interventions
Addressing Specific
Life Milestones &
Tasks
 Education
 Employment
 Housing
Peer Support in
Rehabilitation &
Recovery Settings
Housing, Employment, & Education Readings:
Carpenter-Song, E., Hipolito, M. S., & Whitley, R. (2012). “Right here is an
oasis”: How “recovery communities” contribute to recovery for people
with serious mental illnesses. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 35(6),
435-440.
Marino, L. A., & Dixon, L. B. (2014). An update on supported employment for
people with severe mental illness. Current Opinion In Psychiatry, 27(3),
210-215.
Nelson, G. (2010). Housing for people with serious mental illness:
Approaches, evidence, and transformative change. Journal Of Sociology
& Social Welfare, 37(4), 123-146.
Rinaudo, B., & Ennals, P. (2012). Mental illness, supported education,
employment and recovery: Ben's story. Work, 43(1), 99-104
Peer Support Readings:
Ahmed, A., Doane, N., Mabe, P., Buckley, P., Birgenheir, D., & Goodrum, N.
(2012). Peers and peer-led interventions for people with schizophrenia.
Psychiatric Clinics Of North America, 35(3), 699-715
Alberta, A., Ploski, R., & Carlson, S. (2012). Addressing challenges to
providing peer-based recovery support. Journal Of Behavioral Health
Services & Research, 39(4), 481-491.
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Date
Feb 22
Topics
Intersections with
Race, Culture, Sexual
Orientation
Readings
Readings to be split among students:
Alverson, H. S., Drake, R. E., Carpenter-Song, E. A., Chu, E., Ritsema, M., &
Smith, B. (2007). Ethnocultural variations in mental illness discourse:
Some implications for building therapeutic alliances. Psychiatric
Services, 58(12), 1541-1546.
Desai, S. (2003). From pathology, to postmodernism: a debate on 'race' and
mental health. Journal Of Social Work Practice, 17(1), 95.
doi:10.1800/026503020073538
Daley, A. (2010). Being recognized, accepted, and affirmed: Self-disclosure of
lesbian/queer sexuality within psychiatric and mental health service
settings. Social Work In Mental Health, 8(4), 336-355.
Ida, D. J. (2007). Cultural competency and recovery within diverse
populations. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 31(1), 49-53.
Mizock, L., Harrison, K., & Russinova, Z. (2014). Lesbian, gay, and
transgender individuals with mental illness: Narratives of the
acceptance process. Journal Of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 18(3),
320-341.
Singh, S. P., & Burns, T. (2006). Race and mental health: there is more to race
than racism. BMJ: British Medical Journal (International Edition),
333(7569), 648-651. (Included as a thought-provoking piece, not
necessarily representing the opinion of your instructor!!)
Feb 29
Team Presentations on Rehabilitation & Recovery
Interventions for Consumers with Complex Needs
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