Mental Health Recovery Course Outline Example

This one day session builds on our Mental Health Awareness workshop, looking in more depth at progressive thinking in mental health – commonly captured under the label of “recovery approaches”.

The word “recovery” can confuse, with its medical overtones and absolute connotations. But it has passed into the discourse nonetheless, whenever we are looking at:

• understanding processes of stigmatisation & exclusion, & adopting valuing,
  inclusive and empowering principles and service implementation
• personal meanings, narrative approaches – finding new, empowering stories
  to make sense of oneself and one’s difficulties, as an alternative to limiting &
  problem / deficit-saturated stories established by others (family, community,
  services etc.)
• non-medical understandings of mental health issues
• person-centred rather than system-driven approaches
• resource, competence and resilience focus rather than problem / deficit focus
• hope and possibility
• emphasis on preferred futures and small steps to change
• self-management, balanced with strong emphasis on the essential value of
  excellent human relationships

This workshop takes a look at all these ideas, giving participants an opportunity to
find out more about each, and to reflect on the implications for their organisation and
for their own thinking and practice.

Learning Outcomes
By participating in this workshop, participants will:

• Build their understanding of the meaning of “recovery” in the mental health
  context, and the historical background to it
• Examine the values and principles that underpin recovery
• Look in depth at the key elements of recovery, as listed above, developing a
  deeper understanding of each
• Apply recovery ideas to their own workplace, devising the beginnings of a plan
  for further development and improvement of their work in light of the day’s
  learning