Introduction course
This online training provides basic knowledge about mental health recovery and the recovery-oriented approach. You will explore key elements, experience some practices firsthand, and recognize the CARe methodology as a helpful and effective guide in recovery-oriented work. The training encourages reflection on how to support recovery and recovery-oriented care in your work environment. Through interactive sessions, the training will walk you through the topics of:
- recovery,
- community and recovery supportive environment,
- experiential knowledge,
- CARe approach.
Target group
Mental health professionals, mental health volunteers, people with lived experience with mental health challenges, family members and close persons to people with lived experience with mental health challenges
Format & capacity
- 4 online sessions in duration of 3 hours (interval between sessions flexible)
- recommended capacity up to 18 participants
Overall goal
This training aims to introduce principles of and knowledge about mental health recovery and recovery-focused care.
In a lightweight and accessible way, this training aims specifically to:
- support understanding of the nature of recovery-oriented work,
- support the participants’ interest to know more,
- invite to experience the principles of recovery-oriented work and CARe methodology.
The training is designed to support the participants’ interest to know more, to explore these topics further. Especially towards the in-this-field-developing countries, this should be a first touch with recovery and recovery-oriented approach for mental health professionals (including peer professionals), encouraging them to choose this path and reflect on ways to make it viable in their context and conditions.
Basic structure
Day 1: Recovery and recovery-based approach (3 hours online)
Day 2: Community support and recovery supportive environment (3 hours online)
Day 3: Experiential knowledge (3 hours online)
Day 4: Introduction to CARe approach (3 hours online)
Overview of topics
The training is internally structured through these four main topics:
1. Recovery and recovery-based approach
2. Community & recovery supportive environment
3. Experiential knowledge
4. Introduction to CARe approach
These topics are addressed in respective sessions of the training, but are also intertwined throughout the training, as they are very much connected and relate to each other.
In the topics of recovery and recovery-based approach the training focuses on exploring what is recovery, which processes take place during recovery and on how recovery is connected to wellbeing. The training introduces strengths-based work as a key element of recovery-based approach and invites participants to self-experience focusing on strengths.
The community & recovery supportive environment topics brings up the perspective that recovery takes place in the community. The training introduces various types of communities and community connections and resources and presents ways on how to approach them. In this topics, the training broadens the perspective on community as place and space for becoming, doing, belonging and being.
In the topics of experiential knowledge, the training brings up the perspective that one’s lived experience, even the difficult or disruptive one, is something valuable and can become a resource in supporting recovery. It reinforces the idea that experiential knowledge brings hope and inspiration to the supported person and invites to experience, that recovery does not concern some “them”, but concerns us all.
The introduction to CARe approach points out basic principles and core elements of CARe approach. After addressing the WHATs and WHYs of the recovery-oriented approach, in this part the training introduces CARe approach as a handy way of HOW TO. The training introduces the methodological process of CARe and delivers the basic knowledge of available tools.
Literature:
Jean Pierre Wilken and Dirk den Hollander (2024). Supporting Recovery and Inclusion. Working with the CARe model. Duo Publishing.