Community collaboration in implementing the mental health Recovery Model

Within the Veterans Administration Health Care System, measures are being taken to implement the Mental Health Recovery Model. Mental health recovery has been defined 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 full potential.” The James A Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, FL is one of several facilities that received funding for a Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center. Psychosocial Rehabilitation has been defined as a “process by which trained professionals work to help people with serious mental illness (SMI) to choose, get, and keep valued roles.”

The Veterans Administration Health Care System offers Homeless Outreach, Supported Housing, and Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM), as well as Compensated Work Therapy, Supported Employment, and Vocational Rehabilitation Programs that serve as key mental health recovery agents. Collaboration with Dual-Diagnosis Treatment and Relapse Prevention programs supports the mental health recovery process for substance-abusing veterans with serious mental illness.

The James A Haley Veterans' Hospital is currently partnering with the Florida Department of Children and Families, NAMI, DBSA, and other community organizations to share training and intervention resources. Inter-agency collaboration offers more seamless coordination of care and greater breadth of opportunity for veterans, while maximizing each agency's resources. Our presentation will describe the components of our recovery-supportive system and describe challenges and successes that have been experienced during our (ongoing) process of implementation.