Recovery‑Oriented Psychiatric Rehabilitation: Key Concepts from the NY Psychiatric Rehabilitation Training Academy Webinar

Introduction

The first official training webinar of the New York Psychiatric Rehabilitation Training Academy introduced participants to recovery‑oriented psychiatric rehabilitation (RO‑PSR). Hosted by Daniella Labonte Cavalli (Director of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Initiatives, NIAAPERS) and Dr. Marianne Farkas (President‑elect of the World Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association and Director of Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation), the session set the stage for an 18‑month learning journey.

Webinar Logistics & Continuing Education

• Recorded and posted on psychiatricrehabacademy.org (PowerPoint and video available by Friday).
• 1.5 CE credits offered for LSW, LCSW, CPRP, LMHC (pending additional approvals).
• Participants must attend the full session, complete an evaluation, and submit it within 48 hours to receive credit.
• Keywords (red, green, blue) were used throughout to verify attendance.

Presenter Background

Dr. Marianne Farkas is a leading authority in psychiatric rehabilitation, serving as: - President‑elect of the World Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association - Director of Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation - Professor at Boston University - Founding member of the original Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation under Dr. William Anthony

Learning Objectives

1. Distinguish recovery from psychiatric rehabilitation.
2. Understand the basic principles of recovery‑oriented psychiatric rehabilitation (RO‑PSR).
3. Identify the core components of RO‑PSR (person‑orientation, partnership, choice, hope).
4. Learn the Choose‑Get‑Keep logic model for guiding practice.
5. Begin planning for skill‑ and support‑based interventions.

Recovery vs. Psychiatric Rehabilitation

• Recovery is a personal, culturally shaped journey toward a meaningful life; it is defined by the individual, not by clinicians.
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation provides the systematic techniques and services that help a person achieve the roles they value.
• The two overlap but are not identical: recovery is the overarching vision, while rehabilitation supplies the tools.

Core Values of RO‑PSR

The Choose‑Get‑Keep Model

1. Choose – Help the person consider and select a valued role (e.g., student, employee, parent).
2. Get – Provide the skills and supports needed to obtain that role.
3. Keep – Sustain the role through ongoing skill practice, support maintenance, and satisfaction monitoring.

Role‑Goal Planning Process

• Readiness Assessment – Explore beliefs (desire, perceived possibility, perceived positivity) and knowledge (personal criteria, environmental understanding, decision‑making skills).
• Goal Specification – Write a concrete, time‑bound role goal in “I‑language” (e.g., “I intend to complete a PT‑assistant program at Regis College within 24 months”).
• Skills & Supports Gap Analysis – Identify current vs. needed levels for each critical skill and support. Example: John needs 90 % accuracy in highlighting test items and regular quiet‑yoga breathing to reduce anxiety.
• Intervention Planning – Match gaps to interventions:
• Skill Teaching – Tel‑show‑do‑practice model, repeated until mastery.
• Skill Practice – Rehearsal, cue cards, real‑world application.
• Support Linking – Persuasion, tailoring, or creation of new community resources (e.g., a rotating book‑club to reduce isolation).
• Person‑Centered Planning – The person co‑creates the plan, signs it, and understands each step, reinforcing ownership.

Example Interaction Analysis

• First Interaction: Provider quickly pushed John toward a job to solve his immediate financial stress, ignoring John’s broader aspirations. Rated as an incomplete example of RO‑PSR because it was provider‑directed.
• Second Interaction: Provider used motivational‑interviewing techniques but still acted as a gate‑keeper, steering John away from his preferred goal of becoming a physical‑therapy assistant.
• Lesson: Effective RO‑PSR requires the provider to facilitate the person’s own decision‑making, not to impose a pre‑selected solution.

Implementation Tips

• Use structured, systematic processes to avoid “impatience” and ensure the person knows how they arrived at a goal.
• Track outcomes: role attainment, skill/support level changes, satisfaction, and role longevity.
• Leverage peer support to build hope and model successful role experiences.
• When a person lacks any role identity, create low‑stakes success experiences to spark motivation.

Next Steps & Resources

• Office Hours: Thursday, Feb 16, 1‑2 p.m. (link to be emailed).
• Podcast: Launching Monday on the academy website for deeper discussion.
• Reading Materials:
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation (2nd ed.) by William Anthony et al.
• Essential Guide to Psychiatric Rehabilitation (shorter practical handbook).
• Evaluation form and recording link will be emailed after the session; return the evaluation by Monday to secure CE credits.

Closing Thought

Recovery‑oriented psychiatric rehabilitation is about helping people articulate their own aspirations and then equipping them with the skills and supports needed to achieve and sustain those aspirations.

Recovery‑oriented psychiatric rehabilitation blends a person‑centered, hope‑driven philosophy with concrete skill‑ and support‑building techniques, enabling individuals to choose, obtain, and keep meaningful life roles on their own terms.