Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 28

FEATURE MENTAL HEALTH
I
Emma Softley and Laura Marrows report on a journey of co-production
and co-delivery to bring recovery to acute mental health wards
n collaboration with peer tutors from the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) Recovery College,
occupational therapy staff from the Wellbeing and Therapy Team have been co-delivering ‘bite-size’
Recovery College courses across inpatient acute mental health wards for the past year.
This concept was new to central Norfolk acute wards and has had benefits for staff and service users alike.
‘Recovery’ and the Recovery College
According to Anthony (1993): ‘Recovery is a deeply personal, unique process… It is a way of living a satisfying,
hopeful and contributing life, even with the limitations caused by illness. Recovery involves the development of
new meaning and purpose in one’s life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects.’
NSFT Recovery College provides courses and workshops for mental health service users, carers and
members of staff to develop their skills and understanding of mental illness. It aims to empower students living
with mental illness to become experts in their recovery.
All courses are co-produced and co-delivered by tutors with lived experience of mental illness and mental
health practitioners (who may also have lived experience). Lived experience complements clinical expertise; it
aims to break down traditional ‘them’ and ‘us’ barriers and provide peer role models.
28 OTnews July 2019
Exploring recovery
together