Background Principles of
the Recovery Approach
Agored Study Day
11th November 2010
Overview
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Background
Definition
Policy and Guidelines
Key Concepts
The Ten Essential Shared Capabilities
Background
• The Recovery Model originated in the service user/survivor
movement in 80’s and 90’s.
• Based on self help empowerment and advocacy (re Civil Rights
movement and ‘AA’).
• The term refers to recovering hope for living full and purposeful
life whatever the circumstances.
• Recovery approach values treatment, but focus is on living with
ongoing symptoms/difficulties.
Policy and Guidelines
• The Department of Health consider that recovery is broadly applicable to all
long term conditions.
• Recovery is fully consistent with current health and social care policies
Eg - NICE/SCIE 42 on dementia (2006)
- Our health, our care, our say (DoH, 2006)
- Commissioning framework for health and well being (DoH, 2007)
- NSF for Older People in Wales (2006)
Policy and Guidelines (Continued)
• Recovery is seen as being relevant to all professionals in mental
health services.
• Shares the ethos of progressive social care practice (re
‘personalisation’).
• Resonates with Human Rights Act.
Defining Recovery
• Emphasis upon living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life,
even with the limitations caused by illness.
• An individual process, ‘owned’ by the user.
• Developing a personal identity that is not defined by illness.
• Development of new meaning and purpose in one’s life.
• ‘…a deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitudes,
values, feelings, goals, skills and roles.’
Recovery and Person Centred Care
• Common themes:
– Importance of valuing the individual.
– Choice, control and agency.
– Social inclusion and meaningful life.
Recovery – identity: me and mental illness.
ILLNESS (me) >>>>>>>>>ME (illness)
Identity: Person and Dementia
DEMENTIA (me) >>>>>>>>ME (dementia)
Key Concepts
• Finding and maintaining hope.
- Believing in one’s self; having a sense of personal agency;
optimistic about the future.
• Re-establishment of a positive identity.
- Finding a new identity which incorporates illness but retains a core,
positive sense of self.
• Building a meaningful life.
- Making sense of illness; finding a meaning in life, despite
illness;
engaged.
• Taking responsibility and control.
- Feeling in control of illness and life.
Key Concepts (Continued)
• Active coping rather than passive adjustment: self manage
condition, as much as possible.
• A process of increasing understanding and acceptance.
• Moving towards a sense of meaning and purpose – being
involved in meaningful activities.
• Re-assessing goals and values (often life goals may no longer be
available).
The Five Stages of Recovery
• Moratorium – a time of withdrawal and a profound sense of loss and
hopelessness.
• Awareness – realisation that all is not lost.
• Preparation – Taking stock of strengths/weaknesses and starting to work on
developing recovery skills.
• Rebuilding – actively working towards a positive identity, setting meaningful
goals and taking control of one’s life.
• Growth – living a meaningful life, characterised by self management of
illness, resilience and a positive sense of self.
Putting it into Practice
• Supporting people to develop skills to manage
and live with symptoms.
• Supporting people to build active and
meaningful lives within their communities.
• Promoting a sense of hope.
• Valuing individual life experiences (re links with
person centred care/life history).
10 Essential Shared Capabilities
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Working in Partnership
Respecting Diversity
Practising Ethically
Challenging Inequality
Promoting Recovery
10 Essential Shared Capabilities
(Continued)
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Identifying People’s Needs and Strengths
Providing Service User Centred Care
Making a Difference
Promoting Safety and Positive Risk Taking
Personal Development and Learning
References
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Making Recovery a Reality – Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.
Recovering Ordinary Lives: The Strategy for Occupational Therapy in Mental
Health (2007).
A Common Purpose: Recovery in Mental Health Services RCP/CSIP/SCIE.
Recovery and Older People – www.londondevelopmentcentre.org (Lynn
Read/Kevin Sole).
Repper, J and Perkins, R (2003) Social Inclusion and Recovery. Balliere Tindall.
Edinburgh.
Social Exclusion Unit Report (2004) Mental Health and Social Exclusion.
Http://www.publications.odpm.gov.uk
National Institute of Mental Health (2005) Guiding Statement on Recovery.
www.nimhe.org.uk