Recovery-Oriented Mental Health Practice: A Social Work Perspective

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of recovery-oriented social work practice in mental health settings as it is understood and practised by social workers. The authors describe an investigation of the implementation of mental health reforms in Quebec. This study explored the gap between the reforms' philosophical orientations of mental health recovery and its practical realisation. Specifically, we will discuss the ways in which the social work field encompasses approaches that potentially espouse contradictory understandings of recovery. The study highlights the external and internal obstacles and facilitators to recovery-oriented social work practice. This qualitative research project used semi-structured interviews with eleven primary care mental health social workers in two health care agencies to better understand how they situate themselves with respect to the recovery orientation. The findings illustrate the impact of organisational constraints on social workers' attempts to practise from a recovery-oriented perspective. Specifically, they show that (i) managerial orientations espoused by the reforms have paradoxically led to systemic barriers to recovery-oriented practice and (ii) recovery practice by social workers is facilitated in part by their understanding of this philosophy and by leadership on the part of their managers. This paper will allow for a better understanding of social work perspectives and practical frustrations regarding current primary care mental health practice.