The Concept of Recovery as an Organizing Principle for Integrating Mental Health and Addiction Services

Abstract

Despite a range of long-standing historical, political, ideological, professional, structural, and practical barriers, there has been, and continues to be, a clear consensus that integration between mental health and addiction services is sorely needed and long overdue. This paper focuses on one dimension of the challenge of integration from among the several - the conceptual - and proposes the construct of recovery as an organizing principle for bridging the divide between the two domains. After reviewing briefly the parallel history of the two traditions and their shared need for transformation to a recovery orientation, the authors offer an integrated model of recovery for persons with co-occurring disorders. They then derive from this model the underlying values, guiding principles, key strategies, and essential ingredients of recovery-oriented systems of care that comprise a common approach across both addictions and mental illness, offering a strengths-based solution to achieving integration where pathology-focused approaches have failed.

Narratives of recovery in people with coexisting mental health and alcohol misuse difficulties

“…The concept of recovery appears to offer a principle for developing more integrated and person-centred services (Davidson & White, 2007). Recovery has been defined as an ongoing process of growth and personal change in which the person builds 'a meaningful and satisfying life, as defined by themselves, whether or not there are ongoing or recurring A d v a n c e s i n D u a l D i a g n o s i s the orientation of services away from a focus on the clinical remission of symptoms remains a challenge.…”

“…The authors suggest that more research is needed on how social power impacts on recovery. The idea that recovery is not just an individual journey but also a social process of 'restoring a meaningful sense of belonging to one's community' (Davidson & White, 2007) may be particularly relevant to people with co-existing difficulties, who face additional barriers and stigma.…”

Transforming identity through participation in music and theatre: exploring narratives of people with mental health problems

“…Through the MTW, the hospital is working with identity as a key in people’s recovery processes (Andresen, Oades, & Caputi, 2003; Davidson & White, 2007; Salzmann-Erikson, 2013; Slade et al, 2012). As recovery is a personal and a social process (Topor, Borg, Di Girolamo, & Davidson, 2011), with no endpoint (Deegan, 1997), identity transformation can be the same.…”

“…Based on the participants’ narratives, we can appreciate that identity work takes place not just internally and with the participants, but also in relation to others in other contexts. Understanding, redefining and accepting self; incorporating illness; and overcoming stigma are some of the essential building blocks of recovery (Davidson and White (2007). Participation in the MTW had the potential to influence all these elements of identity.…”

Substance Abuse Treatment Utilizing Medication Assisted Treatment as HIV Prevention

“…The individual in recovery is a functioning member of the community and contributes to the social fiber and health of the community. Thus, a foundation of MAT is the obtainment of Recovery from opioid abuse and dependence (Davidson & White , 2007). The recovery process is the individual way in which a person actively manages their substance use disorder with efforts to reclaim full functional and meaningful lives in the community.…”