Emerging Practices in Employment of Persons in Recovery in the Mental Health Workforce

Abstract

The employment of individuals who disclose lived experience of recovery from mental illness has been identified as key to humanizing the mental health workforce and empowering individuals to take charge of their personal recovery. Although an extensive literature considers numerous aspects of this topic, it has not been synthesized comprehensively or systematically either from scholarly or practitioner perspectives. This article presents and connects three interrelated domains of emerging practices, action across all of which appears necessary to attain, maintain, and sustain employment of persons in recovery in the mental health workforce. The domains are pre-employment practices, human resources practices, and organizational culture change practices. Considered together, these domains and practices suggest a comprehensive approach and practicable model for employment of persons in recovery in the mental health workforce. Research questions in this important workforce area are suggested. The article aims to assist practitioners, mental health agencies, and systems in successfully employing and retaining persons in recovery.