The current landscape of mental health care is being redefined by the July 2003 President's New Freedom Commission of Mental Health report. This report along with the Mental Health Services Act or Proposition 63 has changed California's treatment for individual's who carry a mental health diagnosis. Today the importance of recovery and wellness (which includes community-based prevention) is understood as vital to a transformed system.

The definition of recovery has many variations. At JTP we believe recovery to be "remembering who you are and using your strengths to become all you were meant to be." This definition was created by Recovery Innovations, Inc. At JTP our goal is to create a recovery environment.

What recovery means to other organizations:
Mental Health Services Act and Recovery: Recovery refers to the process in which people who are diagnosed with a mental illness are able to live, work, learn and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery means recovering certain aspects of their lives and the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life despite a disability. For others, recovery implies the reduction or elimination of symptoms.

National Empowerment Center and Recovery: "Full recovery," people may continue to experience symptoms or may choose to or not take medication. The hallmark of genuine recovery is the individual regaining his or her own life and filling values social roles.

Patricia Deegan, Ph.D. and Recovery: Hope and Restoration of a meaningful life are possible despite serious mental illness.

Contra Costa County: While individuals may not be able to have full control of their symptoms, they can have full control of their lives. Recovery asserts that persons with psychiatric disabilities can achieve not only affective stability and social rehabilitation, but transcend limits imposed both by mental illness and social barriers to achieve their highest goals and aspirations.

References:
Recovery Innovations, Inc. @ www.recoveryinnovations.org
Proposition 63/The Mental Health Services Act @ California Department of Mental Health
Ragins M.D., Mark. "Recovery with Severe Mental Illness: Changing from a Medical Model to a Psychosocial Rehabitation Model" @ The Village Integrated Service Agency, Long Beach, CA