When it comes to mental illness, recovery can mean different things. For some people, it will mean no longer having symptoms of their mental health condition. For others, it will mean managing their symptoms, regaining control of their life and learning new ways to live the life they want.
The concept of mental health
From the perspective of the individual with mental illness, recovery means gaining and retaining hope, understanding of one’s abilities and disabilities, engagement in an active life, personal autonomy, social identity, meaning and purpose in life, and a positive sense of self.
When we speak about mental health treatment, it is important to recognize that ‘recovery’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘cure’. Instead, the concept of mental health recovery focuses more on empowering individuals to regain control over their lives and emotions and provides them with the tools to manage their mental health challenges in healthy ways.
At Foundations To Freedom, we have a team of people, in recovery, who have experienced hardships and have overcome life’s challenges and have learned to manage and take responsibility
With that in mind, mental health recovery is:
- A personalized approach, defined by each individual
- Goes beyond symptom elimination to include ‘social and emotional recovery’
- A journey, not a destination
- Focuses on building a meaningful life, as defined by the person themselves
- Moves away from pathology, illness and symptoms to health, strengths and wellness
- Comprises treatment guided by attention to personal life goals
There are five key recovery concepts that provide the foundation for effective mental health recovery: hope, personal responsibility, self-advocacy, education, and support.
From the perspective of the individual with mental illness, recovery means gaining and retaining hope, developing an understanding of one’s abilities and disabilities, engaging in an active life, and acquiring personal autonomy, social identity, meaning and purpose in life, and a positive sense of self.
Priory adheres to the principles of recovery-oriented mental health practice in order to ensure that our mental health services are being delivered in a way that supports the recovery of each client that we support.
The principles of mental health recovery
The uniqueness of the individual
- Recovery is not about the cure but is about having the opportunity to make personal choices, being able to live a meaningful, satisfying and purposeful life, and being a valued member of the community
- Recovery outcomes are personal and unique for each individual and go beyond an exclusive health focus to include an emphasis on social inclusion and quality of life
- Empowers individuals so they recognize that they are at the center of the care they receive
Real choices
- Individuals are supported and empowered to make their own choices about how they want to lead their lives and are encouraged to make choices that are meaningful and creatively explored
- Individuals are supported to build on their strengths and take as much responsibility for their lives as possible
- Ensures that there is a balance between duty of care and support for individuals to take positive risks and make the most of new opportunities
Attitudes and rights
- · Involves listening to, learning from and acting upon communications from the individual and their careers about what is important to everyone
- · Promotes and protects everyone’s legal, citizenship and human rights
- · Supports individuals to maintain and develop social, recreational, occupational and vocational activities, which are meaningful to them
- · Instills hope in an individual’s future and their ability to live a meaningful life
Dignity and respect
- · Consists of being courteous, respectful and honest in all interactions
- · Involves sensitivity and respect for everyone, particularly for their values, beliefs and culture
- · Challenges discrimination and stigma wherever it exists within our services or the broader community
Evaluating recovery
- · Ensures continuous evaluation of recovery-based practice
- · Individuals and their careers can track their own progress
- · Services demonstrate that they use the individual’s experiences of care to inform quality improvement activities
- · The mental health system reports on key outcomes that indicate recovery success
Ensuring mental health options for clients within our realm of care will assist them with long-term care and success. Their participation is imperative, and their results will be measured by their willingness to be instrumental in their own journey of education, discovery and application.
Partnership and communication
- · Acknowledges everyone is an expert on their own life and that recovery involves working in partnership with individuals and their careers to provide support in a way that makes sense to them
- · Values the importance of sharing relevant information and the need to communicate clearly to enable effective engagement
- · Involves working in positive and realistic ways with individuals and their careers to help them to achieve their own hopes, goals and aspirations
Check out our sober living homes based in Florida (DeLand, FL)
For anyone who has ever struggled with addiction, the thought of recovery can seem daunting. The road to recovery is often long and difficult, and it is easy to feel like giving up. However, at Foundation to Freedom, we believe that recovery is possible for everyone. We provide halfway houses in Florida for those who are seeking to recover from the disease of addiction. Our homes offer a safe and supportive environment for sustained recovery.
House for Women
Halfway houses are an important step in the recovery process, as they provide structure and support while residents learn to live independently.
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Turning your life around after struggling with addiction is no easy feat. It takes hard work, dedication, and a support system to make lasting changes.
FIND MOREHouse for Women and Children’s
At our halfway houses, women and children go through an intense daily program that helps them to get their lives back on track.
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