In October 2013, CiBHS launched its third collaborative
improvement project aimed at advancing the recovery of
individuals with serious mental illness. As with the
previous initiatives (ICSC and ARP), the “Advancing Recovery
Collaborative” (ARC) is built upon the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration definition of recovery: “A process
of change through which individuals improve their health and
wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their
full potential” (2011). While California’s public
behavioral health system is increasingly aware that the people
they serve can and do recover, there is still much to be done in
terms of system design to ensure recovery for all clients and to
guarantee that the goals, aspirations and desires of clients are
the primary drivers of every aspect of service delivery.
The mental health system’s current and future capacity to
support recovery is challenged by numerous factors:
Historic beliefs that clients do not recover from mental
illness and cannot achieve an independent life with meaningful
roles;
Stigma and discrimination against individuals living with
mental illness;
Lack of person-centered plans created collaboratively with
clients and evidence-based (or community defined) practices to
meet clients’ needs as they progress through recovery;
Limited array of interventions, services and supports for
individual clients, as well as a poorly defined continuum of
recovery services that includes naturally occurring community
supports;
Minimal measurement and use of data for recovery assessment
and improvement;
Lack of coordination with the primary care and substance use
services;
Number of individuals who will enter services through health
care reform is projected to be nearly 200,000
On November 4th, 2014, Rick Goscha and Karin Kalk organized a
webinar to talk to current county teams on the Advancing Recovery
Collaborative about the Strengths Model.
Through a collaborative learning process, behavioral health
programs will make fundamental changes that promote recovery for
individuals with serious mental illness, including those with
co-occurring substance use and physical health disorders.
These innovative changes will help people to develop meaningful,
self-directed lives in their communities with a focus on
improved:
To take a look at the Advancing Recovery Collaborative, please
click below to view its Charter, Change Package, and Recovery
Diagram. Here you can find more information about the goals and
objectives of the collaborative.