Recovery is an idea whose time has come. It provides a new rationale for mental health services and has radical implications for the design and operation of mental health services and partnerships between health, social services and third sector organizations.
The closure of the large institutions, the development of community-based services and policy initiatives which emphasise recovery all provide opportunities to make recovery orientated practices and services integral to the organization and delivery of mental health services.
Recovery ideas and recovery orientated practice have the potential to radically transform mental health services and to alter traditional power relationships. We would like to open up discussion of how the recovery approach can be put into practice and what mental health services need to do to make it happen.
Our paper, Making Recovery a Reality, is the first part of our year-long project to develop guidance for NHS Trusts and other provider organizations on what they can do to implement recovery-orientated practice.