From Rhetoric to Routine: Assessing Perceptions of Recovery-Oriented Practices in a State Mental Health and Addiction System.

TLDR

The study developed the Recovery Self Assessment to gauge how mental health and addiction programs implement recovery‑oriented practices. The instrument was completed by 967 directors, providers, persons in recovery, and significant others across 78 programs. Factor analysis identified five dimensions of recovery orientation, with programs scoring highest on life‑goal exploration and lowest on service‑user involvement, indicating RSA can pinpoint strengths and gaps.

Abstract

The Recovery Self Assessment (RSA) was developed to gauge perceptions of the degree to which programs implement recovery-oriented practices. Nine hundred and sixty-seven directors, providers, persons in recovery, and significant others from 78 mental health and addiction programs completed the instrument. Factor analysis revealed five factors: Life Goals, Involvement, Diversity of Treatment Options, Choice, and Individually-Tailored Services. Agencies were rated highest on items related to helping people explore their interests and lowest on items regarding service user involvement in services. The RSA is a useful, self-reflective tool to identify strengths and areas for improvement as agencies strive to offer recovery-oriented care.