Recovery is the process of overcoming the negative impact of a psychiatric disorder despite its continued presence.
A recovery system of care is one which supports consumers' rights and abilities to take charge of their own lives, including their illness and disabilities and their strengths and capabilities. Such a system contains effective services based on best clinical practices in sufficient quantity and accessible to consumers who need and want them. Recovery involves much more than Clinical Care, which usually involves seeing a psychiatrist or therapist and taking medication. A recovery system also considers consumers to be "drivers" of their life plans, to be equal partners in their service planning and provision, and to be essential contributors in planning, designing, providing, and evaluating the system's services.
A recovery system is strongly built on community support and integration of consumers to enable them to rely not on the services system, but to become a part of the community. In addition to Community Involvement, other components of Recovery include: Education, Peer Support and Relationships, Work and Meaningful Activity, Power and Control, Family Support, Access to Resources, and Stigma and Discrimination. In addition to these components, research indicates that for many people, developing a healthy sense of spirituality also promotes Recovery.
The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board promotes the development of activities, groups, services, and individual leaders to encourage consumers to become active partners in their recovery process and service development, and active contributors to their communities.