Letter from PRA Chair, Lisa Razzano

Greetings from Chicago, IL, where I currently reside. I know that here in the Windy City our winter was one of the coldest and snowiest on the record. Same is true for many of our colleagues nationwide who have endured paralyzing, severe weather. On one of the days that the polar vortex brought Chicago subzero temperatures of nearly -30 degrees, I counted eleven people sleeping beneath one of the ramps near Lake Shore Drive as I drove to a research meeting. I mention this because the harsh winter was a harsh reminder of the need for shelter (and food) for those who are homeless. It renewed my sense of resolve that services for individuals in recovery, especially for those who are homeless or who live in unsafe/unstable housing, must support development of more shelter and residences, as well as diversify funding to develop and maintain these homes. At its core, recovery cannot be limited only to health factors alone, but also must allow individuals opportunities to live and thrive within the communities of their choice, participating in areas of work and recreation as they desire. Conceptually, our field has long-supported this idea as self-determination. Yet in the dead-of-winter in the Midwest, simply making it through another cold night is the only goal for many.

Recently, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) hosted Grand Rounds for MaryEllen Copeland, PhD, the developer of Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP). As I listened to Dr. Copeland discuss the inception of WRAP, its components, and the many different communities in which WRAP has been successful, I realized that like many other tools that support recovery, WRAP is grounded in self-determination, building on individuals’ strengths by identifying and utilizing the tools that promote their own recovery as they define it. Now listed in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP), the model promotes choice, supports personal awareness, and tailors wellness management to individuals. Like other evidence-based practices in psychiatric rehabilitation, WRAP is one program that is part of the schedule for the Recovery Workforce Summit: PRA 2014 Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland June 22-25.

In addition to WRAP, this year’s Recovery Workforce Summit will highlight other best practices, including self-management programs for medical illnesses, supported employment services, trauma-informed psychiatric rehabilitation services, models tailored to meet the needs of transition-age youth and young adults, services that support recovery among veterans, and integration of services for families within psychiatric rehabilitation programs. Summit workshops will also focus on areas such as organizational climate, integrating recovery-oriented principles into agency infrastructure, cultural diversity, ways to thrive within managed care systems, and the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the Summit offers the opportunity for individuals to participate in the comprehensive Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) certification preparatory course as they review for their certification examinations. Throughout all of the workshops, panels, and other sessions in development for the Summit, I am certain that principles of recovery, including those related to self-determination, will be a common thread.

This year’s call for workshops resulted in an unprecedented number of high-quality, proposals focusing not only on knowledge, but also including components to assist practitioners to develop new skills to support their ongoing work at their home organizations. As a result, the excellence and diversity of workshop content this year is outstanding. Without question, the 2014 Recovery Workforce Summit will offer an unparalleled opportunity for education, training, and networking with others in psychiatric rehabilitation. I look forward to seeing all of you in Baltimore in June.