The perceptions of health professionals of the implementation of Recovery-oriented health services: a case study analysis

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. , where Dr Catherine Hungerford is an Academic. AbstractPurpose -Recovery approaches to healthcare are now an important feature of the mental health policies and plans of many western countries. However, there are continuing challenges to the operationalisation of these approaches. The purpose of this paper is to consider how to overcome these challenges, using insights gained from health managers and practitioners who have been involved in the process of implementation.Design/methodology/approach -The analysis is undertaken through a descriptive single-case embedded study of the implementation of Recovery into a public mental health service in Australia. The unit of analysis that features in this paper is the perceptions of the implementation of Recovery-oriented services, of health managers and practitioners.Findings -The analysis suggests that although health service managers followed many of the recommendations that can be found in the research literature to support achievement of Recovery-oriented services, there was a need to go further. For example, practitioners in the case study context were educated about the principles of Recovery and provided with new processes of clinical documentation to support their work, however these practitioners felt they were ill-equipped to address complex issues of practice, including the management of clinical risk and professional accountability issues. This raises questions about the content of the education and training provided, and also about the ongoing support provided to practitioners who work within a Recovery-oriented framework.Originality/value -The descriptive single-case embedded study of the implementation of Recovery is the first of its kind in Australia. Findings of the study provide insight for other health service organisations committed to effectively implementing Recovery-oriented services.

Recovery and the Role of Humility: Insights from a Case Study Analysis

“…Other research, however, suggests there is still a long way to go before recovery-oriented services are a reality (Cleary, Horsfall, O'Hara-Aarons et al, 2013;Hungerford & Fox, 2013;Hungerford & Kench, 2013). There is a need to more effectively equip practitioners to address the complex issues of practicing recovery.…”

“…Of particular note were the themes related to the disconnection between the theory and practice of recovery, with participants demonstrating an understanding of consumer-centred recovery but identifying issues with the way recovery-oriented services have been operationalized by the mental health service: Also identified as problematic was the level of communication and collaboration among health professionals, consumers, carers, and community support workers (Hungerford & Fox, 2013;Hungerford & Kench, 2013). For example, workers employed by the community-managed organizations that support the social and functional aspects of consumers' recovery journey described contact with health professionals that was less than ideal, even arrogant on the part of the health professional-a characteristic that is not consistent with the principles of recovery:…”

“…There is a need to more effectively equip practitioners to address the complex issues of practicing recovery. This includes supporting them to facilitate greater choice for consumers while at the same time managing clinical risk and professional accountability (Hungerford & Kench, 2013). There also is a need for the more targeted, practice-focused education for health professionals, consumers, and carers to promote understanding of how to practice recovery, with this education provided by consumer representatives (Cleary, Horsfall, Hunt, Escott, & Happell, 2011;Hungerford & Fox, 2013).…”

“…For example, in the acute care continuum, there is still confusion around the meaning of consumercentred recovery and how to further the process within the exigencies of nurses' daily work (Cleary, Horsfall, O'Hara-Aarons et al, 2013). Other barriers include those related to integrating a consumer-centred model into health systems that are dominated by biomedical priorities (Hungerford & Fox, 2013).…”

Recovery as a Model of Care? Insights from an Australian Case Study

“…Findings are considered both as a single unit and in light of other units to build a more comprehensive, cumulative picture. The units of significance identified for analysis in the ethics-approved recovery evaluation included the context of the organization in which the mental health services are located; the perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of health professionals in relation to recovery and the way it was implemented into the organization; and the perceptions of consumers, carers, and community stakeholders of the process of implementation (Cleary, Walter, & Hungerford, 2014;Hungerford & Fox, 2013;Hungerford & Kench, 2013;Hungerford & Richardson, 2013). The discussion conducted here is drawn from findings of the contextual analysis, which included a discursive evaluation of policy documents used by the health service organization to guide the operationalization of the recovery model.…”