黑料正能量 Note: The goal of the Recovery Now! network is to promote best practices that lead to and support recovery. For those of us with a recovery story, it is time that we see and hear examples of that in the media and in political discourse, rather than harmful rhetoric. Recovery Now! is a coalition, and its partners including 黑料正能量 expect and need recovery proponents, whether you be individuals, agencies, organizations or alliances, to be part of this historic campaign being formed at this critical time.
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Campaign Aims to Steer Recovery into National MH Conversation
Mental Health Weekly; Volume 25 Number 8, 2/23/2015
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A number 听of mental 听health 听organizations听听 听on听 听February听听 听18听 听announced the 听launch 听of a new 听campaign 听to 听advance 听recovery-focused mental听 health 听care. 听The 听campaign, 听which aims to promote 听the need 听for more 听community-based services, 听is seeking听 听individuals,听 听agencies听 听and other 听organizations 听to join.
The 听new听 听campaign,听 听Recovery Now! is supported by such organizations as the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Mental Health America,听 听the听 听National听 听Association听 听of County 听Behavioral 听Health 听& Developmental听 听Disability 听Directors听 听and the 黑料正能量 Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation 听Services.
Recovery听 听Now!听 听鈥渨ill听 听identify and 听promote 听proven 听approaches to end 听cycles 听of preventable relapses, hospitalizations, 听incarceration,听 听and homelessness,鈥 according 听to a press release. 听Campaign 听members 听intend to 听advocate听 听for 听greater 听availability of comprehensive community-based services 听that 听promote 听wellness 听and recovery 听through 听the 听integration 听of mental 听health, 听addiction听 听and 听medical care.
Meanwhile,听 听Rep. 听Tim 听Murphy (R-Pa.) recently 听announced plans 听to reintroduce 听mental听 听health听 听reform legislation. 听Sen. 听Chris 听Murphy 听(D-Conn.) is also working on legislation to 听reform 听the 听country鈥檚 听behavioral 听health 听system.
鈥淢ental health 听policy 听reform 听is rightly 听a 听top 听priority 听for 听Congress and 听the 听country,鈥 听Robert 听Bernstein, executive听 听director听 听of 听the听 听Bazelon Center 听for Mental Health 听Law, said in a release. 鈥淲e want to ensure 听that any reform 听advances 听the science 听of what听 听we 听know听 听works:听 听accessible, recovery-oriented, community-based 听treatments 听and supports.鈥
鈥淲e think 听the 听time 听is right, especially 听given 听that 听mental 听health 听is receiving 听a lot of attention,鈥 听Debbie听 Plotnick,听 vice 听president听 听for 听mental health and systems advocacy at Mental Health 听America, told MHW. 鈥淯nfortunately, 听not all of it is positive.鈥
She added, 听鈥淚t鈥檚 very 听important 听that we 听get our 听voices 听heard 听about recovery. We know 听that people 听with mental听 听health听 听conditions听听 听can听 听do very well in the community 听with the right supports.鈥
Plotnick 听pointed听 听to 听the 听closing several 听years 听ago 听of a Philadelphia 听state hospital. 听A follow-up 听study 听10 years 听later 听found 听that 听people听 听were thriving in the community, 听she said. 鈥淲hy? It鈥檚 because听 听the 听money 听followed 听that closing into the community,鈥 Plotnick 听said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the 听kind of 听thing 听we 听need听 听to 听hear听 听about: what 听works 听from 听families 听who 听are doing 听well, 听who 听are 听directing 听their own care.鈥
Stories about 听people 听who 听are in recovery 听and going to school 听and to work don鈥檛 make the news, she said. These听 听stories听 听are听 听not听 听considered 鈥渟exy鈥 or 鈥渟plashy,鈥 said Plotnick. You don鈥檛 hear about an individual with a serious 听mental illness who 听as a teen first developed the 听problem, 听sought treatment 听and got better, she noted.
Funding听听 听support听听 听is听 听essential. 鈥淲e need 听to do a better job and put money 听back 听into 听the 听state 听budget [that was taken 听out] five or six years ago,鈥 said Plotnick. 听MHA is pleased about the president鈥檚 proposed FY2016听 听budget,听听听听 which听听 听includes funding 听increases 听for workforce 听development 听鈥 听including听 听peers听 听鈥 and 听for early 听intervention 听and 听prevention听听 听programs听听听 听and听听 听services. 鈥淭hese are things听 we know 听make 听a huge 听difference,鈥 she said.
鈥淲e would like to offer concrete solutions 听on 听what 听works, 听highlight communities that 听are 听doing 听an 听excellent job and hear stories from individuals 听and 听families听 in 听recovery,鈥 Plotnick 听said. It鈥檚 important 听to have an understanding about what recovery 听means,听 听she听 听said. 听鈥淓ven 听folks with 听many 听chronic 听conditions听 听can thrive听 听with听 听community听听 听treatment and 听supports. 听This is the 听news 听we are bringing [to this campaign],鈥 said Plotnick.
Many 听of 听the 听organizations听 听involved in the campaign 听are based 听in Washington, 听D.C., she 听noted. 听It鈥檚 a given that they intend 听to meet regularly with lawmakers, 听she 听said. 鈥淲e want to multiply,鈥 Plotnick said. 鈥淲e invite others 听to join us.鈥
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