Revisiting the Recovery College Model

The first recovery college was set up in America, Arizona in 2000. The model arrived in the UK in 2010 and there are now over 30 recovery colleges across the country. The purpose of a recovery college is to support people’s recovery from mental health difficulties through learning and education which is co-produced by people with ‘lived experience’ and people with professional expertise (collaboration through an equal partnership). Recovery colleges do this by providing a safe place for people to learn new
skills (and expand on existing skills) together, which helps to increase their connection with others, and their sense of control over their lives. Emphasis is placed on people’s talents and strengths, with the aim of inspiring hope and optimism. Students are encouraged to consider their opportunities for the future, creating a culture of personal empowerment and an underlying feeling of hope and a sense of personal agency.

When we think of the word “recovery,” most of us think of “getting better.” However, in the field of mental health, recovery can be viewed as a journey towards a meaningful and fulfilling life that leads to well-being. This is personal and unique to each person; Each will progress at different speeds, in different directions, and to different ends. Recovery does not necessarily mean “back to normal” or no symptoms; It’s about making conscious decisions about how we want to live.

As Diana comes from a position of long experience of ‘lived experience’ of mental health problems she found herself frequently campaigning and advocating for patients/citizen rights within the local mental health services in the Sussex area. Since these early years, she has been recognised as a passionate advocate of the importance of promoting resilience and maintaining recovery through mental health awareness strategies. She is now a lead trainer and popular presenter within the project. This track
record of involvement in service development has led to her receiving an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Sussex Partnership Mental Health Trust Annual Staff Awards ceremony in 2013. More recently, she has formed a planning group with UKSLTG and Samutthana to explore how to keep
up the momentum of her previous work in Sri Lanka and plan for the next stage of this project. This online event is the outcome of these meetings.

Practical Learning: This program covers suicide awareness and
prevention to give you practical knowledge

When: Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Time: 6 PM

Type of Event: Online (Google Meet)

Registration

Contact: +94 72 131 6884

Email: husnimalik94@gmail.com / info@samutthana.org.lk