These courses are based on five established principles of wellness and recovery, as well as the fact that... trainers who have recovered from crisis and continue to stay well are able to provide effective peer support for those just starting on such a journey. WRAP can also be seen as a kind of inoculation against many potential illnesses as it is such an effective way of developing healthy lifestyles.
The Challenge
Hardly anyone in the UK has ever been taught the essential life skills of planning to stay well and planning recovery from crisis.
When people without these skills are over-stressed they can lose hope. Some diagnosis (mental or physical) can cause people to despair. For example at least 23% of the UK population have taken anti-depressants at some time and that number is increasing even though these drugs are known only to treat the symptoms and not cure the illness.
The Solution
The facilitator(s) will tell of their personal journey through crisis and on the road of recovery. This allows people to regain hope and personal responsibility as the first steps towards managing their own recovery and future wellness. How to plan for wellness and recovery and the importance of each section of the plan are explained.
The Result
Individuals gain/regain the belief that they are the most important factor determining their wellness, ensuring the most effective recovery from current and future crisis. Wellness recovery training can help with the avoidance of serious mental health problems. It will boost understanding for healthy people, helping with relating to friends, relatives and work colleagues who may be suffering.
The Follow up
Participants are encouraged to work together to explore wellness recovery concepts on an on-going basis. The development of support networks is a fundamental principle of continuing wellness. All participants will receive support from Stop Paddling as we can be contacted by email. At every opportunity we will help participants with the continuing development of their own support network.
Benefits to your business
The most common benefits for individuals such as increased happiness may not be tangible, but certainly from the 3 day SMT format, diagnosed participants who had been out of full-time employment for many years gained the confidence to become fully active again. What could such changes in energy levels mean to a charity/company workforce?
Time for a session
An introduction to the key concepts of Wellness Recovery & WRAP can be delivered as a talk, with some audience participation in as little one hour.
For a group where none of the audience would consider themselves to currently be in crisis, (perhaps a group of health professionals) a one day course can be arranged.
WRAP courses are most frequently delivered for people who have major concerns about stress and/or mental health over 2 full days.
Who should attend?
This course is offered for people with; diagnosed mental health problems, suffering from stress but staying relatively well and those such as managers who may not feel much stress themselves but need a better understanding.
Suggested number of participants
A talk on WRAP was delivered to 60 at a Total Networking event in 2007 - see Testimonials. Upper limit depends more on room lay out than anything else.
Full courses of one day or more can be for up to 14 with 2 facilitators.
When delivered as a workshop or course participants are encouraged to work together in small groups.
Things to consider before booking
Alternative formats should be possible. Some discussion is essential to adapt the course for you/your employees.
Participants may be asked to complete a short questionnaire in advance. This will help with tailoring the course to the needs of all participants.
Participation
This workshop is most effective when/because participants want to learn about themselves and are prepared to share experiences. Some of the exercises allow information to be shared in a fairly anonymous way or allow participants to work in isolation. Most exercises require the group to work together and in doing so participants realise they are very much not alone. Most participants choose to exchange contact details and continue to work together on their plans in the months and years after the course, as this is an on-going life change programme.
Believe your life can change significantly for the better!
Background
MDF The Bipolar Organisation were providing self management training in the UK as early as 1996, successfully helping people put their lives back on track. It was one of these courses, in a 3 day format, that Roger Smith attended and so was inspired as to retrain as a stress adviser then SMT and WRAP facilitator. Roger is now working with other facilitators trained by CSIP/NHS to deliver Wellness Recovery Action Plan training throughout the UK in formats that suit a wide range of clients.
061008