Recovery knowledge and recovery-oriented services in Hong Kong

Abstract

In the past decade, recovery has been a guiding principle in mental health care in the United States and other Western countries. In Hong Kong recovery is a relatively new model, compared with the traditional psychiatric rehabilitation and medical models. Adoption of a recovery orientation requires system transformation, staff training, and reorganization of services. The survey evaluated recovery knowledge and perceptions of recovery-oriented practices. The anonymous survey was distributed to all staff who had direct contact with consumers from April to May 2009. Using a mix of experiential and didactic approaches, training should attempt to address myths and concerns and should be tailored for various types of staff on the basis of their knowledge and service provision needs. Consumers and family members should be involved in training and in the transformation process. Training for all stakeholders is essential to ensure that mental health care is recovery oriented.