Providence VA Medical Center, Rhode Island

Mental Health Recovery

"Mental health recovery is a journey of healing and transformation enabling a person with a mental health problem to live a meaningful life in a community of his or her choice while striving to achieve his or her full potential”
-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2006

Recovery from serious mental illness (e.g., Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, severe PTSD) is an individualized journey and means different things to different people. The goal of treatment is more than symptom relief; the goal is to help the mental health care consumer achieve the personal life goals that are important to him/her. Recovery is about improving one’s quality of life, regardless of what that looks like. For example, recovery could mean being independent, having meaningful relationships, and being part of a community for some, while it could mean holding down a job, going to school, or growing spiritually for others. Mental health recovery is based on the principals of hope, respect, and empowerment, and involves interventions that are Veteran-centered and strengths-based. Clinical staff, family, and friends provide support while allowing the Veteran to take responsibility for his/her mental health treatment.

VA is committed to providing high-quality, recovery-based mental health services to Veterans. In fact, mental health recovery has been identified by VA as a guiding principle for its entire mental health service delivery system. The change to a Recovery Model was prompted by the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2003).
“We envision a future when everyone with a mental illness will recover, a future when mental illnesses can be prevented or cured, a future when mental illnesses are detected early, and a future when everyone with a mental illness at any stage of life has access to effective treatment and supports - essentials for living, working, learning, and participating fully in the community.”
--President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003

The Recovery Model is based on continued growth, occasional set-backs, and learning from experience. Peers (fellow Veterans who have recovered from mental illness) play an active role in helping others achieve the same kind of successes they have. In the Recovery Model, the Veteran is actively involved in his/her own recovery planning and chooses from a variety of treatment options including: individual, couples, or group psychotherapy, medication management, peer-led support groups, vocational assistance, housing assistance, suicide prevention, patient education groups, and family education. VA provides evidence-based psychiatric care, but rather than telling Veterans what treatments or medications they should have, Veterans are encouraged to make their own choices, take responsibility for their choices, and set individual goals. VA staff help to support Veteran’s recovery by educating them about the possible consequences of their choices.

People with serious mental illness CAN and DO recover. It IS possible for a person with serious mental illness to live a rich and meaningful life.

TEN COMPONENTS OF RECOVERY

Hope: 
Recovery provides the Veteran with the promise for a better future. Hope is an essential part of this.
To have more HOPE, you can:
• Talk about your successes;
• Be open to new possibilities;
• Develop a fine-tuned plan to cope with stress;
• Believe in the goals of recovery

Self-Direction:
Recovery is about the Veteran being in charge of his/her treatment.
To self-direct your mental health treatment, you can:
• Consider a new path for your future;
• Be open to new ideas about treatment;
• Develop a support network;
• Be an active participant in your care plan.

Individualized and Person-Centered: 
Recovery is based on a Veteran’s unique strengths, needs, preferences, experiences, and cultural background.
To make your care more individualized, you can:
• Share information about yourself;
• Develop personal goals:
• Think about the changes you want to make;
• Be open to new possibilities

Empowerment: 
Recovery is when the Veteran is empowered (educated and supported) to make decisions and the Veteran gains control over his/her destiny.
To be more empowered, you can:
• Ask questions until you understand;
• Learn new ways to make decisions;
• Learn about local and national resources

Strengths-Based: 
Recovery focuses on individual abilities, strengths, capacities, resiliencies, talents, coping abilities, and the inherent worth of individuals.
To incorporate your strengths into your care, you can:
• Participate in a variety of “therapies”: art, music, recreation etc.;
• Look for chances to learn new skills;
• Share your experiences and interests with others

Holistic: 
Recovery encompasses mind, body, spirit and community. Recovery embraces all aspects of life, including housing, employment, education, mental health and healthcare treatment and services, addictions treatment, spirituality, creativity, social networks, community participation, and family supports as determined by the Veteran.
To be more holistic, you can:
• Attend therapeutic sessions regularly;
• Make a list of life goals that incorporates changes to your employment, education, housing, relationships, recreational activities, as needed;
• Involve at least one special person in your plans

Non-Linear: 
Recovery is not a step-by-step process, individuals have set backs. Having a lapse does not mean one is a failure.
When considering that your recovery is non-linear, you can:
• Think: “It’s important to keep trying”;
• Be open to reviewing and revising your care plan;
• Learn a new coping skill and share it with a friend

Respect: 
Recovery is about respecting individual differences, strengths, and goals while protecting a Veteran’s rights as well as eliminating discrimination and stigma.
To gain more respect, you can:
• Ask for the information you need;
• Make personal needs known;
• Talk about what works and what doesn’t;
• Speak with a pleasant voice

Responsibility: 
Recovery is the Veteran’s choice to participate in treatment. Veterans have personal responsibility for their own self-care and journeys of recovery.
To take more responsibility, you can:
• Monitor your symptoms;
• Ask for help when needed;
• Create wellness and crisis plans;
• Practice good self-care (i.e., diet, exercise, sleep, and fun)

Peer Support: 
Recovery is about sharing individual experiences with others by providing each other with a sense of belonging, supportive relationships, valued roles, and community.
To provide peer support, you can:
• Listen respectfully to the views of others;
• Offer ideas and understanding to each other;
• Share your recovery story with others;
• Volunteer to help others

RESOURCES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); National Mental Health Information Center
*www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov

Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation
*www.bu.edu/cpr

US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA)
*www.uspra.org

Wellness and Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
*www.mentalhealthrecovery.com

Veteran Recovery and Peer Support
*www.Veteranrecovery.org

National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1 800-273-TALK (8255), Veterans Press “1”
*http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/

Providence VA Medical Center
Local Recovery Coordinator
Jessica Zuehlke, Psy.D.
Jessica.Zuehlke@va.gov
(401) 273-7100 ext. 2629

Link to Veterans Resource and Recovery Center (VRRC) and Veterans Transition Support Program (VTSP)

Mental Health Recovery is based on continual growth.

Open the door to Mental Health Recovery!

Last Updated: December 2009