Authors: Rochelle Hine
Year: 2002
Event: 2002 TheMHS Conference
Subject: book of proceedings Aspire: A Pathway to Mental Health, is a Psychiatric Disability Support Service, Rehabilitation And Recovery, Consumer Participation & Recovery
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: Aspire: A Pathway to Mental Health, is a Psychiatric Disability Support Service located in South West Victoria. Aspire is unique in the provision of its support service, and in the way that it embraces the concepts of empowerment and participation at every level and in every area of its operation.
This paper aims to describe the fundamental philosophical base of the Organisation which enables participants to take control over their programs and services, decisions, their physical space within the Organisation and through the provision of individualised support and rehabilitation, ultimately their lives. Furthermore, this paper aims to demonstrate how participation within the Organisation, and the creation of opportunities to participate in the community, contribute to an individual's recovery.
The term 'recovery' is one that is now commonly used in the PDSS sector and the mental health field generally. Psychiatric disability and recovery is viewed by the authors as a source of richness and personal growth. For the purposes of this paper, 'recovery' is defined as:
" A deeply personal, unique process of changing one's attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills, and/or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributive life even with the limitations caused by the impairment. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in one's life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of the impairment."
(Farkas, Soydan & Gagne, 2000 cited in 'Overview to Boston University Approach to Psychiatric Rehabilitation'.)
A number of participants have been involved in the writing and preparation of this paper, and the range and variety in the nature of this involvement is a further illustration of the diversity of people's goals, needs and aspirations, and how Aspire accommodates this.
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