Recovery shall be the guiding principle and operational framework for our system of care provided by the partnership of public and private agencies and consumer-run services that comprise the NLCMH services and supports system. This begins with the belief that recovery is achievable and possible. We must project hope, communicate the expectation of recovery, and empower people to exercise choice and control over their lives, including the purchase of supports and services and the choice of providers. This must begin by our being a welcoming environment that begins to build hope from the first contact.
It is essential that we do not fail to put this into practice because recovery may conflict with deeply held internal images of how the public mental health system works or images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting. Instead of focusing primarily on symptom relief, recovery casts a much wider spotlight on restoration of self-esteem and identity and on attaining meaningful roles in society.

We seek to have our recovery-oriented service system be notable for its excellence and to be recognized by others as a public sector best practice model. The system we envision shall be consistent with the National Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services. This includes the following 10 Fundamental Components of Recovery:
•    Self-Direction
•    Individualized and Person Centered
•    Empowerment
•    Holistic
•    Non-Linear
•    Strengths Based
•    Peer Support
•    Respect
•    Responsibility
•    Hope

The foundation of our efforts began with the incorporation of the recovery principles within our Vision and Mission, and Ends policy. This has further been enhanced through our strategic planning and most significantly through the creation and implementation of our Recovery Blueprint.

Changing the NLCMH mental health system to one that is based on the principles of recovery requires a concerted effort by all and must include the active participation of consumers, who have “lived experience” and their supporters at every level of the system. Meaningful involvement of consumers will promote their and other consumers’ opportunity to lead self-determined lives in the community, rather than remaining dependent on the mental health system. In our recovery culture, peer support will be seen as a central focus of services and supports. Consumer and family involvement is critical and they shall have meaningful roles and voice in system design, service delivery, and outcome evaluation.

Recovery is the responsibility of the consumer and our role is to help facilitate his or her recovery journey.  This begins with individualized, consumer-authored recovery planning. Person-centered planning maximizes consumer choice, self-determination, and sharing of both power and responsibility. Consumers should have the full opportunity to select those services and supports which, in his/her evaluation, would best meet his or her needs at that time. We know people are not defined or limited by their illnesses and can live rich and satisfying lives – we can help facilitate this by providing excellent treatment and support services. This includes increasing personal knowledge of and approaches to addressing illness through adherence to whole health-promoting activities (mind, body, and spirit) that assist in building resiliency and enhancing physical health.

To promote change, providers shall:
•    Develop positive, caring relationships with persons served by listening with respect, accepting the individual as a unique person, and valuing his/her strengths, abilities, and dreams.

•    Develop and demonstrate excellence in the person-centered planning process, assisting the individual in setting and reaching goals, and increasing his/her level of personal control and self-esteem.  Self-Determination shall be available to every individual and allow her/him to have control over the selection of his/her services and the individualized budget needed to fund the chosen services.

•    Link persons to appropriate services, benefits, and entitlements. All persons providing services described in the Person-Centered Plan will make a concerted effort to keep each other appraised of the individual’s status regarding goal achievement and/or service efficacy as defined by the consumer.

•    Assist individuals in the identification and use of natural supports and peer-related activities as these are critical to the recovery process.  Connecting those served with successful role models and with peer directed services is highly beneficial.

•    Create opportunities to and encourage participation in meaningful activities including employment and in community settings as a regular component of the recovery process.  Expressed desires to participate in these activities shall be encouraged and promoted.  Support shall be provided to assist individuals served to fully access their community.

We will promote and monitor use of tools to assist in recovery including peer run groups, WRAP plans, crisis planning, and psychiatric advance directives. Further, we will continue our stigma reduction work and seek means to measure the application of recovery principles to the broader community and within our service system using approaches and materials commensurate with cultural and spiritual values.

We will actively evaluate our progress consistent with quality improvement approach to ensure Individual, program, and system outcomes.

Adoption Date:    April 27, 2009

As always, if you have any ideas to contribute to the Learning Community or RC meetings, please let Recovery Coordinator, Mary Beth Evans, know either by a phone call at 989.366.2950 or email marybeth.evans@nlcmh.org.

We’d love to have you join us at any of our recovery meetings, groups, or classes. Please check the calendar to find the dates and times for your community. Hope to see you there!

Some of the key accomplishments of the Council:

• The Recovery Council developed the official Definition of Recovery – The definition is key to driving system transformation and keeping our vision on track. The definition is posted in all NLCMH offices, included in monthly CEO Reports to the Board of Directors, and read at all Learning Communities.
• The Recovery Council provided key input to develop a policy on Promoting a Recovery Oriented Service System (adopted April 27, 2009). This policy applies to all NLCMH direct-operated clinical services and contractual providers. The policy formally expresses the concept of recovery as the overarching goal of the NLCMH service system. It provides guiding principles to use as guides, and also provides a framework to operationalize achieving what we want. The policy has far-reaching implications.
• The Recovery Council provided key input in developing the Recovery 101 curriculum. Offerings now include Pathways to Recovery, MI-PATH, WRAP, and Art Groups. Soon, movement groups will be added too. The movement class will assist in individuals’ recovery and will also address people’s holistic wellness, which was another task of the Recovery Council.
• Recovery Council discussions about holistic wellness helped drive development of the Living Well theme of the fall consumer conference, where learning opportunities were presented on relaxation techniques. The movement group mentioned previously is being added as a result of Recovery Council recommendation. In addition, a smoking cessation group has started in Cadillac for consumers and their families.
• The Recovery Council provided key input to developing the Virtual Recovery Center on the NLCMH web site. As one example of a change resulting from the Recovery Council’s recommendation, we now have revolving pictures, which liven up the site and make it feel more welcoming. This has helped make the site a thriving place where recovery information is shared. The web site averages about 6,000 visits every day.
• The Recovery Council provided valuable feedback on NLCMH use of the Recovery Enhancing Environment (REE) survey. This feedback is being used locally by NLCMH and was also shared with the State Recovery Council to assist it in making its recommendations for statewide adoption.
• The Recovery Council provided  key input on block grant projects.
• The Recovery Council provided  recommendations on environment improvements which have been implemented, such as: recovery towers in each office, photobiographies throughout each office, inspirational quotes posted weekly, and artwork displayed in each office. Outside auditors and reviewers as well as visitors to the buildings regularly state that an expectation of recovery is apparent from the minute you walk through NLCMH doors.
• The Recovery Council created a survey and a process to collect information on the gaps in community resources that consumers say they need and cannot obtain.
• Recovery Council discussions have set the stage for making some changes to improve the access process and packet, with recommendations on using the 5 Stages video and various handouts.

If you would like to learn more about what the Council does, you may check the recent agendas from February, March, April, and May.

Also informative are the Meeting Minutes. Here are the minutes from October 2008, January, February, March, and April.

The group heard an update on the “5 Stages in the Recovery Process” video facilitators training held October 13. The trainings will be provided by a supervisor and a peer/consumer. The facilitator manual is well under way in its development.

The group also had updates from Dave Branding on use of the Recovery Enhancing Environment (REE). Northern Lakes CMH and Oakland CMH will be the lead agencies in Michigan in rolling out use of the REE.

Some of the handouts from these meetings include:  September agenda, October agenda, August minutes, September minutes, a summary of accomplishments from our blueprint for the last quarter, a list of the blueprint tasks yet to be accomplished by the Recovery Council.

July minutes and agenda and August agenda are here. The Recovery Council reviewed the survey they’ve been developing to help with the Blueprint task of creating a strategy to regularly connect gaps in community resources needed to support consumers in places where consumers regularly gather. The group also brainstormed on how we might pilot using the new 5 Stages in the Recovery Process training video and heard some feedback from some of the staff in the units who were asked about using the video in their trainings. In July, Val gave an update on the state’s work toward using the REE (Recovery Enhancing Environment) survey by Priscilla Ridgway and in August Dave Branding gave more information. The state is getting closer to having some decisions made on how the REE will be implemented. The council deferred in-depth work on the policy which defines recovery (as described in the Blueprint) until September. The group discussed how policy-writing is a bit different than what most people are used to — the language it uses will operationalize recovery at Northern Lakes. Council members turned in some initial policy work for Mary Beth to compile to review in next month’s meeting.

One of the topics discussed on the agendas focused on using the REE (Recovery Enhancing Environment) survey by Priscilla Ridgway.

Another involved developing a short “community gaps” questionnaire to use to accomplish the Blueprint task to: “Create a strategy to regularly collect via current consumer venues the gaps in community resources needed to support consumers.”

The council also reviewed a new recovery training video that Northern Lakes CMH has developed called Five Stages in the Recovery Process: A Framework for Dialogue.

The council also began work to develop a policy which defines recovery as described in the Blueprint.

Back L-R: Joan, Michelle Fisher, Mary Beth Evans (chair), Barb McNitt, Catherine Bergum, Todd, Liz MacCord, Bob Houghton.

Front L-R: Vikki Roofe, Ashley, Jean Wistinghausen, Kathy Meyer, Julie Weiss.

Thank you for all you do to help others!

In March the Council approved the official definition of recovery as:

“Recovery is a personal journey of hope, purpose and growth. It is the process of setting our own directions in life. We accept the responsibilities of meeting challenges, using our own abilities, strengths and determination.”

Also in March, how to implement the “REE” was also discussed in detail. REE stands for Recovery Enhancing Environment and is a survey created by Priscilla Ridgway, which measures both an individual’s recovery as well as how recovery-oriented a system or program is. There are a lot of considerations on how to offer the survey and to whom.

A workgroup made up of Todd, Barb, Kathy, Catherine, Ed (partner), and Julie will continue to work outside of Recovery Council meetings with Dave Branding, Northern Lakes Quality Improvement Director.

In April, the Council discussed improvements for this Virtual Recovery Center as well as the Northern Lakes CMH web site in general. Over time, more photos will be added throughout.

Another April topic included the blueprint task to identify what is needed to address holistic wellness and propose changes to improve performance. The group talked about ideas that were important to them – self-esteem, spirituality. They hope for a focus on items that are connected to “Mind, Body, Spirit.”

The preliminary list: coping skills, yoga, tai chi, walking, health education, coping with symptoms, exercising, nutrition, eating healthy on a budget, stress management, relaxation. The group talked about “sampling” classes to gain interest. We will begin having mini classes at Learning Communities.