Working towards recovery.

The approach to treatment for mental illness has for many years been centered around a psychiatric model of intervention with symptoms, nature of illness and medication being the focus.  Increasingly over the past 20 years or so, the ‘recovery’ movement has been gathering pace amongst mental health service user and survivor groups, in particular in New Zealand and Australia where evidence based examples point to the success of adopting an individual and hopeful approach to mental illness.

Recovery is not a cure rather its aim is to support people to take control over their lives and to find ways to manage their illness so that the impact on daily living is reduced.

Recovery based day services work with the individual to seek fulfillment around the following 6 principles:

• Basic needs (safety, money, shelter, communication)
• Sense of self (understanding yourself and your problems, encouraging and supporting a positive view)
• Hope, sense of meaning and purpose (goals, role model, spirituality)
• Choice, control and independence (treatments, social life, skills, knowledge)
• Relationships (family, friends)
• Meaningful activities (hobbies, interests, volunteering, education, training, employment)

Recovery is:

• An individual journey
• Doing what works for you
• Engendering hope and responsibility
• Supportive of your individual aspirations
• A whole person approach