Recovery Orientated Approach To Recovery Essay

A recovery-orientated approach sees a departure from a focus on treating mental illness with a move towards promoting well-being. The Australian Government Department of Health’s (AGDOH) national policy and theory framework for recovery-oriented mental health services (2013) states that there is no single definition of recovery though for the purposes of the policy document recovery is defined as “‘being able to create and live a meaningful and contributing life in a community of choice with or without the presence of mental health issues’” (Department of Health, 2013, p.4). At the core of the recovery orientated mental health framework is the lived experience and a focus on the needs of those managing mental illness. Acknowledging the value
However, there are ways to approach the mental health consumer that creates an environment in which the recovery process is cultivated (Lakeman, 2010). The AGDOH groups the capabilities for recovery-oriented practice and service into five fields: The first domain encourages a culture and language of hope and optimism, the second looks at the persons whole life situation and puts those who experience mental health issues first and at the center of practice, thirdly a personally defined and consumer led recovery that emphasises autonomy and self-determination, developing work environments and an organisational culture that promote recovery inhabiting a workforce that is “appropriately skilled, equipped, supported and resourced for recovery-oriented practice” and lastly through upholding human rights and advocating for the those with mental health challenges, health professionals foster social inclusion and the social basis of mental health and wellbeing (Department of Health, 2013.p,
The idea that schizophrenia had an unavoidable declining nature culminating in a life which revolved around maintenance, medication management and survival, has its origins in early descriptions, in which chronicity was considered one of the defining factors for schizophrenia (Andressen, 2007). Despite the pessimistic culture within psychiatry that flowed on to inform community outlooks and ultimately those of the suffering individual and his or her family, there is a growing literature surrounding the notion of recovery from schizophrenia (Bellack, 2006). The concept of recovery started gaining traction in the 1980’s, when individuals with schizophrenia began sharing stories of their recovery (Andressen, 2007). These stories revealed that many had succeeded in overcoming problems imposed by schizophrenia going on to experience a full and meaningful life. There is increasing consumer and political pressure to ensure that mental health services are recovery-oriented. At the same time, there is considerable confusion and disagreement about the definition of recovery and the implications of a recovery model for science and practice (Bellack,