Recovery is Possible!
The Recovery Model is a philosophy or attitude about mental health conditions and substance use disorders that emphasizes a person's potential to improve and live well. Recovery is seen as a personal journey rather than a set outcome. It involves developing a sense of hope, a secure sense of self, supportive relationships, social inclusion, coping skills, and purpose. At St. Clair County Community Mental Health, we believe that recovery is not only possible, but expected! We operate with the belief that recovery is more than surviving an illness. Recovery is an active movement that brings real change in lifestyle and habits. Recovery means living the life a person chooses to lead; a life no longer controlled by illness or diagnosis.
Pathways to Recovery
Hope: Hope is believing that there is life beyond what a person in experiencing now, or has experienced in the past. It’s the thought that things CAN and WILL get better. Hope is a vision for the future. Choice: Making choices is how a person discovers who they are and what they’re about. Making choices can be risky, but people have the right to learn from experience. People can lead satisfying and productive lives of their own choosing. Empowerment: To recover, a person needs to feel a sense of power. In recovery, a person learns find their voice, and to make their thoughts, ideas and preferences known. Asserting their thoughts and opinions fosters a person’s resilience. Environment: It is vital in a person’s journey that they have an environment that supports their recovery. Environment can be a person’s community: their friends, family, neighbors and service providers. Environment can be the hobbies and activities that fill a person’s time. Environment can also mean the physical living arrangement. All of these factors play a role in the recovery process. Spirituality: Spirituality is often identified by many people as their primary pathway to recovery. Spirituality does not have to mean “religion”; it is act of connecting within and beyond a person’s self. Often this is how people find meaning and purpose – how they define their value.Recovery IS
- Self-directed
- Person-centered
- Goal-oriented
- Strength-based
- An ongoing process
Recovery Is NOT
- Illness-centered
- The same as a “cure”
- A linear process
- A journey you take alone