Recovery Institute
The overall purpose of the Via Hope Recovery Institute is to promote mental health system transformation by (1) helping organizations develop culture and practices that support and expect recovery, and (2) promoting consumer (aka peer, person in recovery), youth/ young adult, and family voice in the transformation process and the future, transformed mental health system. The Via Hope Recovery Institute interfaces with transformation efforts facilitated directly by Texas Department of State Health Services Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division and is a significant component of the Division’s transformation strategy. The Institute is funded through DSHS and the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and evaluated by The University of Texas at Austin Center for Social Work Research.
What is recovery? Many wonderful definitions of recovery have emerged from the recovery movement over time. To view a list of recovery definitions we are collecting, click here. In 2006, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) worked with stakeholders to develop a consensus statement on recovery from mental health conditions. The consensus statement describes recovery as a journey of healing and transformation enabling a person with a mental health problem to live a meaningful life in a community of his or her choice while striving to achieve his or her potential. Recently, SAMHSA also developed this working definition of recovery from mental disorders and substance use disorders: A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. To learn more, click here. The Recovery Institute aims to increase knowledge about recovery and recovery-oriented practice in Texas.
Individuals and organizations have different levels of interest in and enthusiasm for transformation and recovery. The Institute is designed to provide multiple levels of engagement that meet an individual or organization’s current level of interest and aim to further their commitment in the transformation process. The entry levels are intended to provide basic information to individuals that are unfamiliar with recovery concepts. Other levels are intended to help organizations that are already involved in transformation further their recovery orientation. The most advanced levels are designed to promote the implementation of specific recovery oriented practices that are totally or relatively new in Texas mental health, such as peer support services and person-centered recovery planning.
For a look at the Recovery Institute's design, please click "Download File" below.
To learn more about the initiatives associated with the Recovery Institute, please view individual program pages listed on the left-hand side of the webpage under Also In This Section.