Digest This: Recovery-based approach to mental health care
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Digest This is a weekly, hour-long online discussion hosted by WHYY's Health and Science team. Join us every Tuesday at noon. Log in at lunchtime to pose questions to experts and our reporters, voice opinions, and connect to people with similar concerns.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: Recovery-Based Approach to Mental Health Care
Mental Health care is moving toward a recovery-based model. Rather than focusing on managing symptoms, this approach aims to allow people affected by mental illness to lead the best and most fullest life possible. Recovery is also based on self-determination, respect, and the reduction of discrimination. Some experts are concerned though that "recovery" is an idea that is not well-defined and that different groups have different ideas about what it means. We'll discuss recovery-based mental health care, how it works, how consumers view it, how communities approach it, and how it is changing mental health policy.
When: 12:00 noon Tuesday, December 15th
Where: Right here. Click the blue button in the right sidebar to join the chat.
Moderator: Maiken Scott
This week's guests:
Lori Breen, LSW, is the Coordinator of the Veterans Empowerment Center, a Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, at the Philadelphia VAMC. She has been developing Recovery-oriented initiatives and programs in collaboration with people who use mental health services for over ten years.
Dr. Arthur Evans, Ph.D., is the Director of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, his office has changed the way the city of Philadelphia delivers mental health services to incorporate the principles of recovery.
Prof. Mark Salzer is the Principal Investigator and Director of the University of Pennsylvania Collaborative on Community Integration: The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Promoting Community Integration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities
Locally, I have yet to meet a provider who doesn't assert that all treatment and outcomes reflect the principles of recovery yet when I inquire further they can't provide evidence of the same. Too often after being pressed I am told an interesting anecdote, "Let me tell you the story of Billy (or Suzy or some other adult name rendered childlike) …. " or find that that which existed has simply been renamed, ex. day programs now called Recovery Centers, Drop-in Centers renamed Self Help Centers, clients (nee' recipients, nee' patients) now called consumers. This is hardly the type of evidence that could lead one to believe that the words and deeds are intersecting broadly.
There are seminars, publications, colloquia, trainings, and conferences on recovery but has our nation's mental health system really "transformed" to one predicated on the principles of recovery or has it merely adopted the language? I had hoped for better sixteen years past Anthony's seminal work. Naturally, the burden and the blame for failing to recovery in a system which putatively affords every opportunity to recover will fall to those who are receiving services. The same occurred in earlier eras, ex. The Era of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, The Era of Evidence Based Practices.
I sorry I missed this discussion. I am very impressed with all the work discussed. I wanted to share with you what we have done here at the Mental Helath Center of Denver to promote recovery transformation. Such sharing of information I feel is critical to move recovery practice forward nation wide. If you go to http://www.reachingrecovery.org you will see breif desciptions of the research instruments we've created that track and report consumer's progress in recovery overtime. The recovery outcomes have greatly aided our center in our transformation.
David, Hedwig House in Montco has some employment programs you might be interested in. Also, call the county office of mental health and specifically ask for "supported employment" programs.
Thank you for the info, much appreciated.
Is there a Recovery-based approach to mental health program with a focus on employment that I can get involved in? I am currently am a patient of Dr. Andrew Smolar who practices on the Main Line in Bryn Mawr.
David,
That would be a great question to ask our panel of guests tomorrow during our web chat at noon. Please join us if you can!